- Washington State DOT Reports On Experiment Using Drones And Cameras To Abate Graffiti
- San Francisco Holds First Place In 2024 “Urban Mobility Readiness Index”
- These are just some of the toll industry developments TRN is following.
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Washington State DOT Reports On Experiment Using Drones And Cameras To Abate Graffiti
The Washington legislature directed WSDOT to conduct a pilot to evaluate the use of technology — paint-spraying drones, in particular — to abate roadside graffiti, a growing nuisance in the view of some observers. In a report submitted to lawmakers this month, the department states that early evidence from a drone-based cleanup campaign shows the technology “is safer and more efficient than traditional anti-graffiti methods, especially in hard-to-reach areas or places that could put workers in danger,” according to MyNorthwest.com. WSDOT calls on lawmakers to provide more funding for the program, for drone acquisition and pilot training.
The pilot project, which is set to continue through next June, received $60,000 in funding. To date, WSDOT has spent $22,000 and executed 21 missions in the Tacoma area. The department is also conducting tests of real-time tagger detection systems. It states traffic management centers have had some success using these camera systems to alert the Washington State Patrol to in-progress tagging.
Highway-Tunnel-Bridge Maintenance Seattle Metro Area Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (Drones) Washington State Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT)San Francisco Holds First Place In 2024 “Urban Mobility Readiness Index”
Bloomberg CityLab reports, “The city’s adoption of electric vehicles and other high-tech innovations overshadowed its reliance on private cars, ultimately earning it the top spot in a ranking of 70 global cities by the Oliver Wyman Forum, the consulting firm’s social action arm, and the University of California, Berkeley.” Each year, researchers “weigh[ ] dozens of factors like walkability, air quality and the use of zero-emission buses to come up with an Urban Mobility Readiness Index that analyzes how well people and goods can move through a city and to surrounding population centers. Other cities in the top five, including Paris, Munich and Amsterdam, saw robust public transportation systems and strong universities that collaborate successfully with the private sector. Singapore, which came in third, extended its tax rebate incentive for early EV adoption through 2025 and boasts some of the safest roads in the world, with few road fatalities and low traffic.”
“The focus on technology and innovation this year shifted the ratings in favor of US cities, which performed well despite lagging in public transit and infrastructure for bikes and pedestrians.” Besides San Francisco, New York City made the top ten, taking eighth place. Boston and Los Angeles were among the top 15 cities. LA earned some points for its preparations to host a “car-free” Summer Olympics in 2028.
Alternative and Active Transportation California Electric and Hybrid Vehicles Environmental Protection Policies Procedures And Initiatives Intelligent Transportation Systems San Francisco Bay Area (CA) Self-Driving VehiclesThese are just some of the toll industry developments TRN is following.
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