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Road Guy Rob's Transportation News

Road Guy Rob's Transportation News

By Road Guy Rob

Today's big transportation decisions which affect the highways, trains, and communities you care about.
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Syracuse Might Tear Down a Freeway

Road Guy Rob's Transportation NewsAug 19, 2019

00:00
09:14
Syracuse Might Tear Down a Freeway

Syracuse Might Tear Down a Freeway

Highway construction of the 1950s were a collision of value engineering, latent racism, and big government.  Bulldozers loomed over families living on Almond Street who weren't given any say.  A look at New York state's once-in-a-century opportunity to transform downtown Syracuse.

Aug 19, 201909:14
A Roundabout, A Princess, and a Pile of Rocks

A Roundabout, A Princess, and a Pile of Rocks

How a centuries-old Native American legend collided with Georgia's ambition to become the "Roundabout Capital of America."  Roads travel millions of miles, and the pavement will inevitably impact sensitive places.  Clever engineers north of Atlanta are using a roundabout to preserve history and improve traffic.

Aug 12, 201905:54
Slow Down, Pizza Hut! New Rules for AV Deliveries

Slow Down, Pizza Hut! New Rules for AV Deliveries

 Amazon, GrubHub, and others are eager to roll unmanned deliveries through your neighborhood.  What sorts of problems will driver-less autonomous vehicles (AVs) cause you?  California's DMV are writing rules for the Domino's robots to earn a driver license.   

Aug 05, 201904:48
Tax a Prius to Feed a Chevy Tahoe

Tax a Prius to Feed a Chevy Tahoe

For the past few years, Oregon has been running a pilot program which (unintentionally) billed "green" car drivers while cutting fat refund checks for gas guzzlers.  How the state is working to fix this problem, while also shaping the way you'll pay road taxes in the future.

Jun 26, 201907:41
Florida is the Deadliest State for Bicyclists
Jun 17, 201906:51
A Crazy Expensive Bay Area Transportation Transformation

A Crazy Expensive Bay Area Transportation Transformation

An industry group with deep Bay Area roots is pushing public officials to bond $100-billion dollars.  If voters were to approve (possibly on the 2020 ballot), it would build LOTS of new transportation infrastructure across 9 counties.  Would it work?  What would get built?  It may be worth asking Los Angeles and Seattle.

Jun 11, 201905:23
The Catch Behind Connecticut's Gas Tax Cut

The Catch Behind Connecticut's Gas Tax Cut

If lawmakers in Hartford lower the state gas taxes by 5 cents, you'd better load some money on your E-Z Pass. New York considers banning "distracted walking." Teenagers may soon qualify for CDL licenses. America's longest pedestrian bridge just opened, and it's not where you'd imagine it is.

May 22, 201905:27
A State's Plan to Charge $1,000 to Register EVs

A State's Plan to Charge $1,000 to Register EVs

Why the annual charge would bump from $17 per year to $1,000, simply to get that license plate sticker.  Tampa transportation officials are considering demolition of I-275.  Research has finally answered the question: Do ride-sharing services (Uber and Lyft) help or hurt congestion in big cities?

May 13, 201906:12
Traffic Relief for the Port of L.A. (and Why That's Bad)

Traffic Relief for the Port of L.A. (and Why That's Bad)

It may get easier for trucks to get in and out of the Ports of Los Angeles (San Pedro) and Long Beach, and the reason why has executives very concerned.  Congress and the White House come one step closer toward a $2,000,000,000,000 infrastructure package (yes, that's the correct number of zeros).

May 08, 201904:43
Public-Private Partnerships Built No Toll Roads in 2018

Public-Private Partnerships Built No Toll Roads in 2018

Omaha is less than 12 months away from its first "rapid transit" line.  Minnesota DOT figured out exactly how much money they saved by letting the public volunteer to pick up trash.  The joint-venture of government and private industry (P3s) has primarily built tolls roads, yet zero were built in 2018.  

Apr 24, 201905:22
Logan Airport Picks a Fight with Ridesharing Apps

Logan Airport Picks a Fight with Ridesharing Apps

Uber and Lyft are upset with Logan Airport's decision to move passenger pickups to the parking garage, and charge an extra $1.75 per passenger on top.  Union Pacific and BNSF have fixed most of the railways damaged by last month's storms.  How should bus drivers deal with unruly passengers?

Apr 11, 201904:29
Nobody Wants to Pay NYC's Congestion Charge

Nobody Wants to Pay NYC's Congestion Charge

As soon as 2021, drivers may have to fork over (as much as) $20 a day to drive into lower Manhattan. Now, just about every business that relies on ground transportation wants NYC to exempt them from the tolls. Interstate 75 reopens in Chattanooga after part of an interchange flyover collapsed. And a look at why pedestrian deaths in Virginia are skyrocketing.

Apr 08, 201905:19
Federal Gas Tax May Actually Increase

Federal Gas Tax May Actually Increase

Two unlikely allies may join forces to raise the federal gas tax, for the first time since 1993.  Nevada lawmakers consider a new VMT collection method that avoids the privacy problems Oregon faced.  And how land developer almost tricked Utah into getting an $800,000 wall for free.

Apr 05, 201903:44
Nevada Cops Wants to See Your Phone

Nevada Cops Wants to See Your Phone

Some lawmakers in Nevada wants to give police the authority to see if you were using your cell phone during a collision.  Arkansas may join its neighbors and raise its speed limits.  Nebraska re-opens over 1,000 miles of roads damaged by floods, but there's a lot more to go.  

Mar 21, 201904:38
LA's Plan To GPS Track Rental Scooters

LA's Plan To GPS Track Rental Scooters

The city of Los Angeles wants scooter companies to track (and give the city) all the GPS data of its riders.  Three senators are very concerned about D.C. Metro's plans to buy train cars from the Chinese government.  And Tennessee announces a new anti-littering campaign that sounds a bit familiar.

Mar 19, 201905:06