New (im)mobility: Can we avoid the private car revenge?

Mobility operators and public leaders must anticipate a post-pandemic shift to single-occupancy vehicle use, and act before urban transportation locks us down again.

By Joël Hazan, Pierre-François Marteau, Benjamin Fassenot • April 22, 2020

Spin unveils ‘Build a Better Barrier Challenge’ winners

The grand prize was given to "WeCLAIM," a design that uses reclaimed tires to build lane dividers filled with plants and grasses, in a bid to ensure clear separation of travel lanes.

By Chris Teale • Updated July 28, 2020

Explore the Trendline➔

Top 5 stories from Smart Cities Dive

From worsening climate change to a shifting transportation landscape and the housing affordability crisis, cities have their work cut out for them.

By Smart Cities Dive staff

New Zealand to fund ‘pop-up’ bike lanes, sidewalk widening amid pandemic

The transportation minister has called on cities to apply for the funding, which will support tactical urbanism projects to improve cyclist and pedestrian safety.

By Cailin Crowe • April 16, 2020

A ‘different world’ awaits transit on the other side of coronavirus

Public transit experts led an open-ended webinar on how to recalibrate societal perceptions of transit, noting the pandemic is an opportunity for the industry to prove its true value.

By Kristin Musulin • April 13, 2020

Federal agencies launch $9M Civic Innovation Challenge

The National Science Foundation partnered with the U.S. Departments of Energy and Homeland Security for the research competition, which aims to address community-identified mobility and resiliency challenges.

By Kristin Musulin • April 9, 2020

California permits Nuro AV deployment

Nuro is the first operator in the state permitted to deploy driverless delivery vehicles on public streets, beginning in two Bay Area counties.

By Chris Teale • Updated Dec. 28, 2020

AVs in Jacksonville, FL are shipping COVID-19 tests to the lab

The Jacksonville Transportation Authority partnered with Beep and NAVYA to transport the tests across the Mayo Clinic's campus, freeing up personnel for other important tasks. 

By Kristin Musulin • April 8, 2020

Ford Mobility offers struggling transit agencies software, consulting amid COVID-19

The "Fixed to Flex" platform is being offered to transit agencies at no cost to enable a smoother adjustment to unprecedented changes across pubic transit.

By Kristin Musulin • April 7, 2020

Ann Arbor, MI City Council adopts $1B climate plan

Staff revised the A2Zero plan to better reflect the long-term costs of action or inaction, and to take into account how strategies may evolve as technology and climate changes.

By Chris Teale • Updated June 4, 2020

New York legalizes e-bikes, scooters following years of debate

The state legislature approved the policy on Thursday as part of the new fiscal year budget bill, allowing residents to safely get around without "fear of ridiculous fines [and] penalties," Sen. Jessica Ramos said.

By Chris Teale • April 3, 2020

NACTO resource hub tracks COVID-19’s impact on transportation

The association partnered with Bloomberg Philanthropies to offer real-time information on the transportation strategies cities are deploying to adapt to coronavirus.

By Chris Teale • March 31, 2020

Reimagining the chaotic urban curb

Managing urban spaces and planning for city needs of the future is a long-term undertaking. Cities must consider how to make solutions scalable for opportunities and challenges that will arise in five, 10 or 20 years.

By Jon Ziglar • March 31, 2020

Cities, states fight fuel efficiency standards rollback

The final Safer Affordable Fuel-Efficient (SAFE) Vehicles Rule could cut the number of zero emission vehicles on U.S. roads by 14 million over the next 15 years.

By Catherine Morehouse • Updated May 28, 2020

Transit gets $25B in federal stimulus package

President Trump signed the $2 trillion CARES Act Friday, pledging to help agencies make up for lost revenue and fund daily operations amid the coronavirus.

By Chris Teale • March 30, 2020

Strategic design can help car-free streets gain popularity post-coronavirus

Once-packed streets are now void of cars as residents stay home. While cities use this as a window into the possibilities of car-free streets, they must also consider forward-thinking design changes to prioritize people over cars.

By Jason Plautz • March 27, 2020

Uber sues LADOT over data-sharing requirements

The company said the Mobility Data Specification violates state and federal laws and is a form of surveillance that gathers personal details. LADOT has not yet responded.

By Chris Teale • March 26, 2020

Counting scooters: The science behind micromobility fleet measurements

Understanding how many scooters are on the road means deciphering a complex and interconnected web of action and information.

By David Allison • March 25, 2020

As stay-at-home orders spread, deliveries speed up

Rush hour deliveries in cities undergoing extensive lockdowns to slow the spread of COVID-19 are roughly 13% to 27% faster than usual, according to data from digital freight broker Convoy. 

By Emma Cosgrove • March 24, 2020

Congestion may soon 'cease to exist' in US cities

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on traffic speeds in the country's most populous cities. A new INRIX study suggests congestion may soon disappear completely "if current trends persist."

By Cailin Crowe • March 24, 2020

The US didn’t sign a global road safety pact. Now advocates are fighting back

A recent road safety conference in Stockholm seemingly lacked representation from the U.S. federal government. Young advocates were left wondering who is taking charge in eliminating road deaths.

By Chris Teale • March 24, 2020

How to adapt public transit to COVID-19 contingencies

Cities and transit agencies are currently in a bind: Public transit service is essential, but how can it best acclimate to the circumstances surrounding coronavirus?

By Amos Haggiag • March 24, 2020

Newark, N.J. focuses on resident engagement during lead service line replacement

After discovering that some residents who owned lead service lines and were served by Newark, NJ’s Pequannock Water System were experiencing high levels of lead in their drinking water, Mayor Ras J. Baraka implemented an aggressive 30-36 month lead service line (LSL) replacement program in 2019, with the goal of replacing approximately 18,000 LSLs at the resident level.

March 20, 2020

Will scooters survive the COVID-19 crisis?

Firms step up disinfecting — and in some cases exit cities altogether to limit the spread of disease. But the disruption comes at a difficult time for the industry, blunting the typical spring rebound. 

By Jason Plautz • Updated March 20, 2020

COVID-19 may sport the thinnest silver lining: a cleaner climate

There is evidence of declining carbon emissions and improved air quality as societies lock down. Experts say potential stimulus funding could present an opportunity to perpetuate these changes.

By Chris Teale • March 19, 2020

Transportation-based Green New Deal seeks extra $37B in federal investment

The Deal would assist transit agencies in facing the dual threats of GHG emissions and COVID-19, which could have a "lasting impact of years" on transit, said Emily Mangan of Transportation for America.

By Chris Teale • March 18, 2020