David Zipper

From the washingtondc community on Reddit: Skijoring Today in RCP Explore this post and more from the washingtondc community

"Had some fun with the Japanese Mini Truck in the park today"

Amsterdam prepares to ‘ban the fatbikes’ amid rise in serious accidents Experts say souped-up e-bikes pose big risk for children aged from 12 to 15, who account for many A&E cases

High-speed two-wheelers* deter people from biking at all.

“Because of the dangers of those who are cycling fast, especially older people over 55 or 60 simply leave their bikes at home. We also hear that parents no longer dare to let their children cycle.”

*Not pedal-assist e-bikes

NTSB Investigates Waymo School Bus Incidents What does this mean, and what might we do to improve safety while the process plays out?

"State regulators should reconsider their 'let it rip' approach to autonomous vehicle licensure and regulation. A human driver who violated school bus safety road rules dozens of times would likely have lost their license, but there has been no discernable state regulatory consequence to Waymo."

More Cities Are Taking Responsibility for Clearing Sidewalks of Snow — Streetsblog USA Rochester, Burlington, Minneapolis, Duluth and Syracuse have either started clearing sidewalks or are moving in that direction.

Reminder that some US cities have teams clearing sidewalks -- not just roads -- when a major snowstorm strikes. Yours could, too.

Could be this

98 years later, North American cities still haven’t learned this lesson

Every person taking videos of these atrocities is a national hero. Full stop.

Full episode now available. Audio pod links: lookbothwayspod.podbean.com/e/episode-14...

@wesmars.bsky.social and I discuss why a lot of robotaxi fans to get very touchy when challenged.

From Charlottesville, VA, a useful finding for those trying to understand why US pedestrians deaths surge after dark:

"Night time speeding is 27 times more prevalent than day time."

arxiv.org/pdf/2601.10974

People Often forget to consider the full cost of their choices, like cheaper housing but much more expensive transportation. Many sustainable choices might seem more expensive, but are not when you consider all the costs. Good urbanism and density is one great example.

Achieving ‘Transportation Abundance’ Is All About Density To drive down transportation costs and move the needle on affordability, Americans need to embrace living closer together.

The abundance movement & YIMBY allies call for upzoning as a strategy to lower housing costs. Rightly so. But such reforms also reduce residents’ travel expenses. That gets much less attention, but it shouldn't.

I can’t think of a better way to pursue abundant transportation than densification.

It’s Unanimous: Columbus Approves Density-Friendly Zoning Changes Columbus has approved six zoning code amendments, which include height limit increases from three stories to 16 and eliminate parking requirements for large developments in 12,300 parcels along major ...

As important as transit-oriented development is, density also lower transportation costs *even in places where almost everyone drives.*

Closer destinations --> Fewer miles driven --> Less spent on gas, car maintenance, etc

Columbus, OH is a model.

To their credit, a bipartisan group in Congress embraces density, including a bill calling on USDOT to consider construction near stations when reviewing transit grants.

As one source said, “Why waste taxpayer money building transit no one will use?”

www.congress.gov/bill/119th-c...

Houston Is Now Less Affordable Than New York City A new report finds that, when transportation costs are factored in, Texas’s biggest metros aren’t the bargain they often claim to be.

Consider: Because of its cheap housing, Houston is often seen as a beacon of affordability. But sprawl inflates residents’ transportation costs.

In dense New York City, transportation consumes half as much of residents’ income as in Houston.

Here’s a simple strategy to make transportation more abundant and less expensive: Shorter trips! That’s what density enables.

When destinations are closer:
- Fewer miles driven (save $)
- Easier to take transit/bike/walk (save $$)
- Families might get by with one car instead of two (save $$$)

What Would ‘Transportation Abundance’ Look Like? Fans of the abundance movement say that adding supply solves big problems in housing and health care. But when it comes to getting around, things get complicated.

“Abundance” – a trendy idea among policy wonks – strives to make necessities like housing, health care, and energy cheaper and more accessible.

It’s a laudable vision. But as I argued here, the meaning of “abundant transportation” has been murky. (More transit? Great. More cars? Not so much.)

Achieving ‘Transportation Abundance’ Is All About Density To drive down transportation costs and move the needle on affordability, Americans need to embrace living closer together.

A surefire way to make transportation more abundant and affordable?

Increase density.

In Bloomberg, I explained why. 🧵

Why do people support or oppose bike lanes? Our research sheds light on public opinion Research suggests that more consultation about cycle lanes would bring more support for them.

Protected bike lanes FTW:

“Segregated cycle lanes – those physically separated from cars – were popular with both regular cyclists and regular drivers. Painted lanes on the road were far less liked, while the option of having no cycle lanes at all was the least popular with both groups.”

We Still Don’t Know if Robotaxis Are Safer Than Human Drivers And even if self-driving technology proves to be less dangerous, there are many better ways to improve traffic safety and prevent fatal crashes.

My Bloomberg article that seems to have ruffled a lot of feathers in Silicon Valley

A bunch of autonomous vehicle boosters are mad at me for arguing that robotaxis’ safety benefits are wildly exaggerated. It’s gotten pretty ugly.

@wesmars.bsky.social and I delved into pushback in a new episode of @lookbothwayspod.bsky.social, coming later this week. Here’s a snippet.

In the next episode, Wes & David delve into Mayor Mamdani's fast start with transportation reforms (Manhattan Bridge bike bump, Madison Ave bus lane, McGuinness Blvd...)

@wesmars.bsky.social: "I just love that he didn't appoint a blue ribbon commission for every stupid thing."

Full ep coming soon!

I would like to understand how "an abundance of community power" is different from NIMBYism.

usa.streetsblog.org/2026/01/20/w...

"Collective outcomes [from cars] are mostly negative, including traffic fatalities, consumption of public space, and harmful effects on public health."

doi.org/10.1016/j.tr...

Governor Murphy Signs Senate President Scutari’s E-Bike Safety Legislation - Insider NJ Governor Murphy Signs Senate President Scutari’s E-Bike Safety Legislation Posted on – 01/19/2026 Legislation Enacts Some of the Nation’s Toughest Regulations on E-Bikes TRENTON – Governor Phil Murphy...

F**k. He signed it. New Jersey now has the harshest regulations on e-bikes in the nation. www.insidernj.com/press-releas...

Tomorrow at 6p ET!

Also a good question

Some open questions:

🔹 How many teleoperators does Waymo have in the Philippines? In other nations?

🔹 How does Waymo ensure it has enough teleoperators to handle an emergency? (Big fail during the SF blackout last month)

🔹 How are teleoperators vetted?

🔹 What happens if they come to work drunk?

Agree about Detroit Three culture, but cheap EV imports have the potential to be the Toyota Corolla or VW Beetle of the day. That’s how you get the Ford Escort etc.

The Transit Effect With Ken Jennings - Ep. 4: Transit & Opportunity YouTube video by Community Transit

I narrated this timely new @communitytransit.bsky.social video about transit and equality. MLK Day and Rosa Parks Day are coming up!

Montreal already charges owners of big SUVs more to park. It’s a very sensible policy.