The Monday Roundup: Hairdryers, the folly of “fixing congestion”, Sweden’s bike-friendly apartments, and more

Ominous cloud: In what appears to be the most tangible impact so far of Trump’s influence on infrastructure, his administration has cancelled a project that was set to electrify a popular commuter rail line in the California bay area.

DIY anti-speeding trick: A town in Scotland has happened upon a novel method of cracking down on fast drivers: Hairdryers.

Don’t widen roads. Please: As Oregon appears set for another road-widening binge, it’s worth brushing up on your reading about why this method of “congestion relief” is a bad idea. We came across two great explainers this week: One from The Plaza Perspective and one from Driving.ca.

No to red light cams: As Portland expands its automated enforcement programs we’re watching how other states handle the issue. In Florida, a place with the worst road safety record in the nation, a ban on red light cameras is moving forward.

Truck speeds: Another thing we’re following is ODOT’s puzzling interest in raising truck speed limits from 55 to 60 mph while research shows it will lead to more deaths and injuries.

Carifornia: Looks like California — a state that, like Oregon, likes to bank on its eco-friendly reputation — is clueless and carheaded when it comes to transportation (also like Oregon).

Idling engines are the Devil’s playthings: I get peeved at all the people who stare at their phones while idling in traffic or a parking space — so I was glad to see some research aimed at changing that behavior via a Jedi mind trick.

‘OhBoy’ is right: The “bicycle house” apartment building in Malmö was built with complete bicycle access in mind. Take a tour via Copenhagenize.com.

New energy source, same old shit: Why don’t we get excited about electric cars? Because for all their environmental benefits, they do nothing to improve road safety. And despite all the additional subsidies they take from taxpayers, the people who make EVs glorify the same dangerous behaviors that gas-guzzlers have displayed for decades.

It works: Seattle successfully tamed one of its major arterials by simply re-striping the lanes in a way very similar to what PBOT has planned for SE Foster.

Transit matters: Streetsblog shares new numbers that tell the story of how transit ridership is down in most U.S. cities — except where significant investments were made in bus service. (Hi TriMet, we’re waiting.)

— Jonathan Maus: (503) 706-8804, @jonathan_maus on Twitter and jonathan@bikeportland.org

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