Two Swedish inventors, Anna Haupt and Terese Alstin, may have found a way to encourage self conscious cyclists to protect themselves. Their Invisible Bike Helmet, Hovding, will protect cyclists in case of a crash by inflating quickly like an airbag around their head. The inventors hope it will encourage more widespread helmet use, and make helmet-hair less of an issue for commuters. Watch the video above to learn more!
WATS is managing planning efforts to design a non-motorized crossing on Huron Street over I-94 as part of Washtenaw County’s HUD Sustainable Communities grant. Click here to fill out a brief survey and tell us your priority for a Huron/I-94 crossing location. Additional opportunities to participate will be posted on the WATS website.
MDOT is considering a $63.7 million investment in the US-23 corridor from M-14 to 9 Mile Road. The project includes:
During peak hours, vehicles will be able to drive on the upgraded shoulders.
On December 12, 2013, MDOT hosted public meeting at Northfield Township Hall. View the presentation and video from the meeting at this link. You can also learn about the project at MDOT's project page, or in recent coverage by MLive's Ann Arbor News.
The FY 2014-2017 Transportation Improvement Program is available. Click to view the program. The TIP is a programming document used to implement the goals, objectives, and projects found in the Long Range Transportation Plan. Click here to learn more about the TIP and view past programs.
Below we've embedded a map of the projects programmed in the TIP. Click any of the lines or points for more information on each project. Please contact WATS with any questions.
WATS is seeking interested candidates for five special interest seats on the agency's Technical Committee. Special interest seats include, freight, senior, non-motorized, environmental and disabled community. Click on the regular or large print application to apply.
Technical Committee members advise WATS staff and make recommendations to the Policy Committee on multi-year federal and state funding programs and Plan adoptions. The Technical Committee meets on 1st Wednesdays starting at 9:30am in Scio Township. The voting membership is for two years (with opportunity for reappointment) beginning February 1, 2014 through January 31, 2015.
Applications are due by December 2, 2013.
Technical Committee Special Interest Application
The CTPP data product based on 2006 – 2010 5-year American Community Survey (ACS) Data is designed to help transportation analysts and planners understand where people are commuting to and from, and how they get there. The information is organized by where workers live, where they work, and by the flow between those places. The CTPP Data Access Software is a powerful tool to access the nearly 350 gigs of data provided by the Census Bureau. The Data set consists of almost 200 residence based tables, 115 workplace based tables and 39 flow tables (Home to work) for over 325,000 geographies.
WATS uses this data to understand commute trends and the future needs of our region's transportation system. Look forward to future posts and analysis on this data!
The Washtenaw Area Transportation Study (WATS) will present a Transportation Forum at Hatcher Graduate Library on the University of Michigan Campus November 18, from 4-7PM. As the number of transportation initiatives in Washtenaw County grow, it has become difficult for projects to differentiate themselves and for the public to track their progress. The event brings together many of the projects and people advancing a comprehensive vision for the county’s transportation system. The public will be able to discuss the initiatives, learn more, and get involved. Initiatives and experts at the event include:
Refreshments will be provided.
In this funny and thought-provoking talk, Janette Sadik-Khan, transportation commissioner of New York City, shares projects that have reshaped street life in the 5 boroughs, including pedestrian zones in Times Square, high-performance buses and a 6,000-cycle-strong bike share. Her mantra: Do bold experiments that are cheap to try out.
From the Pulitzer Center
The global road death toll has already reached 1.24 million per year and is on course to triple to 3.6 million per year by 2030.
In the developing world, where this pandemic has hit hardest, it will become the fifth leading cause of death, leapfrogging past HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis and other familiar killers, according to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) most recent Global Burden of Disease study.
We've embedded the map above, but click the 'View fullscreen' button to feel the full impact of the global road death pandemic.
Some sample fatality rates (in deaths per 100,000 people)
