- New England States Join NHTSA Initiative To Deter Speeding And Other Unsafe Driving
- Commentary: Study Shows Lane Narrowing Can Increase Safety And Produce Other Benefits
- Dubai Toll Network Operator Revises Customer Terms And Conditions
- These are just some of the toll industry developments TRN is following.
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New England States Join NHTSA Initiative To Deter Speeding And Other Unsafe Driving
Boston.com reports on a regional task force organized by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in partnership with five New England states that is working to stop motorists from speeding. Local police in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont, and Connecticut have joined a campaign that aims to do more than increase the number of traffic citations. The agencies will use various methods — increased patrols, aircraft observation and even unoccupied, decoy police cruisers — to deter unsafe driving behavior. Arthur Kinsman, a NHTSA regional administrator, said similar initiatives involving a total of 22 states are underway. The safety effort is supported by a $9.6 million national media buy. “The campaign launch comes as new data shows that while there has been a slight dip in overall roadway deaths, speeding fatalities reached a 14-year high in 2021 and make up almost one-third of all traffic fatalities nationwide.” (TRN inserted a link in quoted text.)
Connecticut Crime Beat Highway-Tunnel-Bridge Safety (Includes COVID-19 Impacts) Maine Massachusetts New Hampshire US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration VermontCommentary: Study Shows Lane Narrowing Can Increase Safety And Produce Other Benefits
Wes Guckert, president and CEO of Maryland-based traffic engineering and transportation planning firm The Traffic Group, comments in a Route Fifty column on the findings of a unique traffic study that found slightly narrower lanes (around 10 to 11 feet) are associated with less speeding and lower accident rates than the standard 12-foot lanes most common in the US. The research, published last year by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, attributed the difference in crash rates to a psychological sense of constraint that naturally leads to more cautious driving. The authors also maintained that narrowing vehicle lanes can reduce environmental impacts and contribute to public health by lowering vehicle emissions and making walking and cycling safer.
In his commentary on the findings, Mr. Guckert observes that although the study “clearly makes the case for narrowing lanes in urban areas, actual implementation requires careful planning and consideration of local conditions. Not all roads are suitable for narrower lanes. . . . Many urban streets and residential areas, however, can benefit from this approach. Integrating narrow lanes with other traffic calming measures, such as roundabouts or raised crosswalks, can further enhance safety.” He suggests, “To effectively implement a lane narrowing strategy, municipalities should conduct thorough traffic studies, including data collection and traffic counts, to understand current usage patterns; engage with the community to address concerns and gather support; and ensure that any road changes are clearly communicated and have sufficient signage.”
Alternative and Active Transportation Environmental Protection Policies Procedures And Initiatives Highway-Tunnel-Bridge Safety (Includes COVID-19 Impacts) Transportation and Infrastructure Research & DevelopmentDubai Toll Network Operator Revises Customer Terms And Conditions
Salik, the Dubai toll road toll operator, has released new account terms and conditions, including “caps on annual fines and time limits on contesting financial penalties,” The National reports. Fines per vehicle imposed in any calendar year can no longer exceed AED 10,000 (about USD 2,720). At the same time, the penalty for passing through any toll point without a functioning RFID transponder has increased to between AED 100 and AED 400 (approximately USD 27 and USD 109), depending on the frequency of violations. The new operating rules also provide that an account that remains inactive after five years will be deactivated and any balance forfeited.
The article also notes that Salik plans to construct two new toll gates, which will bring the network total to 10.
Dubai UAE ETC Systems Salik Toll Collection System ScofflawsThese are just some of the toll industry developments TRN is following.
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