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David Zipper

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September 24, 2024
2024, Fast Company
David Zipper
Why car companies might finally have to care ...

In the name of safety, NHTSA wants to require carmakers to moderate their gigantic designs. Good.

Why car companies might finally have to care about pedestrian safety
David Zipper
February 11, 2025
2025, Fast Company

This Google Maps ‘safety’ feature could actually make roads more dangerous

David Zipper
February 11, 2025
2025, Fast Company
This Google Maps ‘safety’ feature could actually make roads more dangerous

New features in Google Maps make the navigation app dangerously distracting — and users can’t turn them off

Source: https://www.fastcompany.com/91276060/google-maps-drivers-confirmation-roadway-incidents-criticism

Tagged: Cars, Safety

David Zipper
January 27, 2025
2025, Fast Company

Trump is all-in on cars. It’s up to cities to stop him

David Zipper
January 27, 2025
2025, Fast Company
Trump is all-in on cars. It’s up to cities to stop him

Even without federal help, local government can encourage people to bike, walk, and ride transit

Source: https://www.fastcompany.com/91267069/trump-is-all-in-on-cars-its-up-to-cities-to-stop-him

Tagged: Street Design, State Policy, Urban Policy, Federal Policy, Transit, Bikes, Pedestrians

David Zipper
January 23, 2025
2025, CityLab

What Happened to Hanging Out on the Street?

David Zipper
January 23, 2025
2025, CityLab
What Happened to Hanging Out on the Street?

Rather than lingering, Americans are racing through streets quickly — and alone. That’s bad news for cities.

Source: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-01-23/us-pedestrian-study-we-re-walking-faster-hanging-out-less?srnd=phx-citylab-perspective

Tagged: Urban Policy, Street Design

David Zipper
January 16, 2025
2025, CityLab

Will Americans Ever Lose Their Taste for Telework?

David Zipper
January 16, 2025
2025, CityLab
Will Americans Ever Lose Their Taste for Telework?

Prof Pat Mokhtarian has been studying remote work for 40 years. She thinks its post-Covid popularity is permanent.

Source: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-01-16/as-remote-work-lingers-in-us-the-future-of-commuting-is-murky?srnd=phx-citylab-transportation

David Zipper
January 9, 2025
2025, CityLab

What Robotaxis Brought San Francisco

David Zipper
January 9, 2025
2025, CityLab
What Robotaxis Brought San Francisco

I spoke with ex-SFMTA head Jeffrey Tumlin about the risks self-driving cars pose to cities like San Francisco.

Source: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-01-09/san-francisco-s-robotaxi-takeover-as-seen-from-city-hall

Tagged: Autonomous Vehicles, Transit, Mobility Data

David Zipper
January 6, 2025
2025, CityLab

Don’t Shrink the Bus

David Zipper
January 6, 2025
2025, CityLab
Don’t Shrink the Bus

The future of transit revolves around big vehicles, not small ones

Source: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-01-06/why-personal-rapid-transit-can-t-compete-with-regular-old-buses

Tagged: Transit

David Zipper
January 6, 2025
Vox, 2025

Gigantic SUVs are a public health threat. Why don’t we treat them like one?

David Zipper
January 6, 2025
Vox, 2025
Gigantic SUVs are a public health threat. Why don’t we treat them like one?

Like smoking a cigarette, driving a giant car endangers innocent bystanders. There is power in that narrative.

Source: https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/391733/gigantic-suvs-are-a-public-health-threat-why-dont-we-treat-them-like-one

Tagged: Cars, Car Bloat, Federal Policy, Urban Policy, State Policy, Health

David Zipper
December 10, 2024
2024, Slate

Giant Cars Are Going Global

David Zipper
December 10, 2024
2024, Slate
Giant Cars Are Going Global

American-style car bloat is going global

Source: https://slate.com/business/2024/12/giant-cars-suvs-pick-up-trucks-global-europe.html?tpcc=giftedarticle

Tagged: Cars, Car Bloat, International

David Zipper
December 5, 2024
2024, CityLab

Kansas City Looks Back on its Long, Costly Ride With Microtransit

David Zipper
December 5, 2024
2024, CityLab
Kansas City Looks Back on its Long, Costly Ride With Microtransit

Kansas City is a microtransit pioneer, but results have underwhelmed

Source: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-12-05/kansas-city-is-a-microtransit-pioneer-and-a-cautionary-tale?srnd=phx-citylab

Tagged: Transit

David Zipper
December 3, 2024
2024, Slate

Why It’s So Frickin’ Hard to Stop Driving

David Zipper
December 3, 2024
2024, Slate
Why It’s So Frickin’ Hard to Stop Driving

Typically, commuters are creatures of habit. But under certain circumstances, we’re not.

Source: https://slate.com/technology/2024/12/car-commute-public-transit-behavioral-science.html

Tagged: Urban Policy

David Zipper
November 26, 2024
CityLab, 2024

In Italy’s Motor City, Car-Free Options Are Growing

David Zipper
November 26, 2024
CityLab, 2024
In Italy’s Motor City, Car-Free Options Are Growing

Turin, Italy’s automaking hub, is falling out of love with cars

Source: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2024-11-26/turin-italy-s-motor-city-is-making-room-for-bikes-and-transit?srnd=phx-citylab

Tagged: International, Urban Policy, History, Cars

David Zipper
November 21, 2024
2024, Fast Company

Who’s really to blame—and who isn’t—for America’s traffic death epidemic

David Zipper
November 21, 2024
2024, Fast Company
Who’s really to blame—and who isn’t—for America’s traffic death epidemic

Saying that “road safety is a shared responsibility” is misleading and counterproductive.

Source: https://www.fastcompany.com/91233037/whos-really-to-blame-and-who-isnt-for-americas-traffic-death-epidemic

Tagged: Safety, Federal Policy

David Zipper
November 14, 2024
2024, Fast Company

Forget about EV range—and focus on this instead

David Zipper
November 14, 2024
2024, Fast Company
Forget about EV range—and focus on this instead

EV companies should talk more about vehicle efficiency — and less about range and acceleration

Source: https://www.fastcompany.com/91227386/forget-about-ev-range-and-focus-on-this-instead

Tagged: Electric Cars, Climate, Cars

David Zipper
November 13, 2024
2024, Vox

The most dangerous roads in America have one thing in common

David Zipper
November 13, 2024
2024, Vox
The most dangerous roads in America have one thing in common

In the US, 2/3 of city crash deaths occur on streets control by the state — not local gov. That’s a problem.

Source: https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/384562/state-highways-dots-car-crashes-pedestrian

Tagged: State Policy, Urban Policy, Safety, Transit, Federal Policy, Highways

David Zipper
November 12, 2024
2024, CityLab

Under Trump, Prepare for New US Transportation Priorities

David Zipper
November 12, 2024
2024, CityLab
Under Trump, Prepare for New US Transportation Priorities

With Trump returning to the White House, US transportation policies will soon change. I spoke with T4A’s Beth Osborne to understand how.

Source: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-11-12/what-trump-s-win-means-for-us-transportation-priorities

Tagged: Federal Policy, Transit, Trains, State Policy

David Zipper
October 30, 2024
2024, CityLab

Is Denver’s Big Bet on E-Bikes Paying Off?

David Zipper
October 30, 2024
2024, CityLab
Is Denver’s Big Bet on E-Bikes Paying Off?

I visited Denver to draw lessons from the first US city to offer e-bike rebates. TLDR: It’s working well!

Source: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2024-10-30/how-denver-became-america-s-biggest-e-bike-booster?srnd=undefined

Tagged: E-bikes, Urban Policy, Climate, Bikes

David Zipper
October 24, 2024
CityLab, 2024

Robotaxis Are No Friend of Public Transportation

David Zipper
October 24, 2024
CityLab, 2024
 Robotaxis Are No Friend of Public Transportation

Robotaxi companies like Waymo claim to be transit’s new best friend. Be skeptical.

Source: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-10-24/robotaxis-aren-t-going-to-help-save-public-transportation

Tagged: Autonomous Vehicles, Transit

David Zipper
October 4, 2024
2024, CityLab

What Do US Vehicle Regulators Have Against Tiny Cars?

David Zipper
October 4, 2024
2024, CityLab
What Do US Vehicle Regulators Have Against Tiny Cars?

American regulators are blocking creative minicars from around the world that are fun, practical, and affordable.

Source: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-10-04/why-americans-can-t-buy-the-tiny-cars-that-europeans-love?srnd=citylab

Tagged: Minicars, International, Federal Policy, State Policy

David Zipper
October 2, 2024
2024, Slate

There Is No Technology Fix for Car Bloat

David Zipper
October 2, 2024
2024, Slate
There Is No Technology Fix for Car Bloat

The only surefire way to reduce car bloat's harm: Shrink gigantic vehicles

Source: https://slate.com/business/2024/10/cars-suvs-pedestrian-deaths-traffic-safety-lidar-computer-vision.html

Tagged: Cars, Car Bloat, Federal Policy, Safety

David Zipper
October 1, 2024
2024, Fast Company

Big Auto helped kill America’s best chance to curtail reckless speeding. But it’s not over yet

David Zipper
October 1, 2024
2024, Fast Company
Big Auto helped kill America’s best chance to curtail reckless speeding. But it’s not over yet

California almost became the first state in the country to require technology that deters reckless speeding

Source: https://www.fastcompany.com/91200418/big-auto-helped-kill-americas-best-chance-to-curtail-reckless-speeding-but-its-not-over-yet

Tagged: Safety, Cars, State Policy

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