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San Francisco Pioneers Smart Parking Spots

Wireless sensor network will alert drivers to open spaces

(Newser) - The streets of San Francisco will be getting smarter this fall, reports the New York Times. The city is pioneering a program to add sensors to thousands of parking spaces; drivers will be alerted to empty spaces through displays on street signs or via their smartphones. City officials hope the...

Why $8 Gas Would Be Awesome
Why $8 Gas Would Be Awesome
OPINION
Jul 11, 2008 11:17 AM CDT

Why $8 Gas Would Be Awesome

A call for a return to the days when driving was for rich jerks

(Newser) - Gas, as you may have heard, has topped $4 a gallon, and Joel Stein of the LA Times loves it. "Cheap gas is unfair," he argues, tongue mostly in cheek. Heck, why not make it $8 or even $10 a gallon, as in Europe, "where they have...

The Good in $4 Gas
 The Good in $4 Gas 
GLOSSIES
Jul 2, 2008 12:03 PM CDT

The Good in $4 Gas

Less obesity, traffic, and accidents, for starters

(Newser) - The rest of the world may have thought it would never happen, but energy prices are beginning to change Americans' behavior. Time notes some positive aspects:
  1. Jobs lost to globalization return, because energy costs make international shipping unattractive.
  2. Suburban sprawl is slowing as people choose to live closer to cities.
...

The New Generational Shift: Suburban Flight

After 50 years of sprawl, suburbanites gravitate toward cities

(Newser) - Changes in lifestyles, economic conditions, and demographics are leading to a reversal in urban flight, The Wall Street Journal reports. Four-dollar-a-gallon gasoline and the subprime crisis have driven many to cities from suburbs, where commutes are longer and houses have lost the most value. Boomers are simplifying their lives with...

Waiting for Green Has Gas-Conscious Seeing Red

Needless idling in turn lanes irks Calif. drivers

(Newser) - Though their safety value in heavy traffic isn't disputed, some Californians are starting to see left-turn arrows as a drag on ever-pricier gas and an avoidable threat to the environment, the Riverside Press-Enterprise reports. The California Energy Commission estimates that idling for 2 minutes (often a needless waste of time,...

Surplus Signs Driving Motorists to Distraction
Surplus Signs Driving Motorists to Distraction
OPINION
Jun 11, 2008 2:27 AM CDT

Surplus Signs Driving Motorists to Distraction

Too much information along roads may be creating a hazard

(Newser) - Drivers in America are often confronted with a forest of signs reminding them of speed limits and traffic control measures—but the overwhelming information may be making roadways more dangerous, John Staddon writes in the Atlantic. The glut of reminders can take drivers' attention away from the road and dull...

More Is Less: High Gas Equals Quicker Drives in LA

Commuters, traffic reporters say famously congested freeways a bit less so

(Newser) - Sure, gas prices are unreasonable and the economy is hurting, but, the Los Angeles Times reports, at least now the infamous traffic isn't so bad. Hard data shows that traffic may be thinning out along LA’s freeways; accidents and commute times are also falling. Talking with local drivers, the...

Assembly Sinks NYC Congestion Pricing Measure

Tolls for high-traffic areas had been mayor's pet project

(Newser) - New York state legislators today killed a plan that would have brought congestion pricing—higher fees at peak traffic hours—to parts of Manhattan, a major defeat for Mike Bloomberg, the Times reports. The mayor and a coalition of environmental groups backed the idea, but legislators from the city's outer...

NYC Approves Congestion Toll
 NYC Approves Congestion Toll 
Apr 1, 2008 4:54 AM CDT

NYC Approves Congestion Toll

City passes $8 fee to drive into midtown Manhattan

(Newser) - New York City has moved a step closer to charging drivers $8 to enter midtown Manhattan. The City Council voted 30-20 in favor of the proposal, known as "congestion pricing," that has already been established in cities like London to reduce traffic. The next hurdle is approval from...

GPS Network Aims to Beat Traffic Jams

New unit pools data from cars to warn of congested roads

(Newser) - You may soon be able to evade a traffic jam with a little help from your fellow driver, the Washington Post reports. California start-up Dash Navigation is launching a GPS device that collects speed and location data from vehicles, then uses the information to figure out which roads are congested...

London Punishes Gas Guzzlers
London Punishes Gas Guzzlers
Feb 12, 2008 5:10 PM CST

London Punishes Gas Guzzlers

Biggest offenders will pay $50 a day to enter city

(Newser) - London will charge the biggest gas guzzlers on the road $50 a day to enter the city, the Times of London reports. The greenest cars, meanwhile, will pay nothing. Mayor Ken Livingstone revised his car-congestion charge to punish SUVs and sports cars by tripling the cost for them, beginning in...

LA Still Leads in Traffic Delays
LA Still Leads in Traffic Delays
Sep 18, 2007 5:23 PM CDT

LA Still Leads in Traffic Delays

But Ventura, Inland Empire are catching up

(Newser) - Los Angeles and Orange counties are still tied for No. 1 in the nation in traffic delays, a study published today by the Texas Transportation Institute concludes. Motorists in either county lost an average of 72 hours in rush hour traffic in 2005—almost 2 work weeks. LA and Orange...

Labor Day Traffic Forecast: Not Quite as Bad

With gas cheaper, 28.9M expected to hit road this weekend

(Newser) - Nearly 29 million people will travel by car during the upcoming Labor Day weekend, AAA reports—slightly fewer than last year, despite lower gas prices. A gallon averages $2.75, down 10 cents from last Labor Day. The overall number of travelers this holiday weekend is expected to go up,...

US Gives Big Jump to NYC Traffic Plan

Bloomberg proposal gets $354M boost, but state legislature must still approve

(Newser) - The federal government has promised to pitch in $354M toward an environmentally sensitive plan to suppress car traffic in Manhattan, New York's busiest borough. But the scheme's chief proponent, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, must still win the approval of the New York state legislature, which initially chafed at his proposal, the...

California Ranked Worst for Traffic
California Ranked Worst for Traffic
Jun 29, 2007 3:03 PM CDT

California Ranked Worst for Traffic

New Jersey boasts poorest road system

(Newser) - California ranks No.1 in the US for interstate traffic jams, says a new study which focused on congestion around big cities. With traffic snarled on 83.3% of its urban roadways, the Golden State edged out runners-up Minnesota and New Jersey. Surprisingly, New York—gridlock central—only came in...

Vatican: Thou Shalt Not Speed
Vatican: Thou Shalt Not Speed
Jun 19, 2007 2:14 PM CDT

Vatican: Thou Shalt Not Speed

Holy See issues '10 commandments' for motorists

(Newser) - The pope wants you to slow down, watch your language, and pray while on the road—and not by taking the Lord's name in vain when you get cut off. The Vatican issued "10 Commandments" for motorists today, reiterating the familiar prohibition against killing and adding new guidelines for...

eBay Shuts Window on Google Ads
eBay Shuts Window on Google Ads
Jun 18, 2007 4:29 AM CDT

eBay Shuts Window on Google Ads

Auction site drops search giant's marketing tools after weeklong spat

(Newser) - Online auction powerhouse eBay broke a multi-million-dollar "keyword" advertising deal with Google, ostensibly after the search engine threw a party in Boston that crowded an eBay conference. But the boycott on search-driven spots also comes as Google's online payment feature Checkout elbows in on eBay-owned PayPal's territory.

Bay Area Overpass Collapses
Bay Area Overpass Collapses
Apr 30, 2007 5:50 AM CDT

Bay Area Overpass Collapses

Oakland Tanker explosion and fire close busy freeway

(Newser) - A speeding 8,600-gallon gas tanker smashed into a guardrail early yesterday on a Bay Area highway, causing a fireball that melted an overpass above it. The driver sustained minor injuries, and no one else was hurt. But the collapsed overpass, which carried traffic eastbound from the Baby Bridge, closed...

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