News and events >> previous traffic safety headlines
Here are newspaper and magazine stories, news releases and other items relevant to traffic safety in California and the nation. This list was last revised on July 11, 2008 and covers the period from May 25. This edition's headline pick. See current TSC headlines.
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JUNE 20
BART mug suggestion may whet commuter support: Intent on overturning BART's ban on drinking in stations and on trains, BART board Director Lynette Sweet put on a demonstration Thursday to show off a travel coffee mug outfitted with a "dead man's trigger" engineered to keep the beverage from spilling even if the person holding it keels over and dies.
Local agencies get look at new emissions rules: California's cities, counties and public agencies got an early preview Thursday of the ways they'll be asked to analyze greenhouse gases in new construction projects under the state's first-in-the-nation emission rules.
Caltrans begins work on I-80 carpool lanes: The lanes will be built along an 8.7-mile stretch of I-80 between Red Top Road near Cordelia and east of Air Base Parkway in Fairfield. Construction is expected to be completed in fall of 2009.
Accessorizing to cut smog: A crane at the Port of Long Beach lowers a "bonnet" over the funnel of a ship in a demonstration Thursday of a system that traps and treats exhaust.
Should we change the laws for cyclists? How many times have you had to ram the car brakes because someone on a bicycle blew through a stop sign?
Council approves Caldecott Tunnel deal: The city didn't get everything. But on the whole, it got a good deal.
'Megaship' comes calling at Port of Oakland: Port spokeswoman Marilyn Sandifur, said the ship, the NYK Vesta, measures 338 meters, and is capable of carrying 4,300 40-foot shipping containers. It's 45.6 meters wide.
California measure targets texting while driving: Call it a loophole, perhaps, but California's ban on driving while talking on a hand-held cell phone does not extend to text messaging.
Report on Climate Predicts Extremes: More Droughts Likely in North America
The Smaller the Better, Automakers Are Finding: Dealers can’t keep fuel-efficient cars like the Ford Focus in stock, and automakers can’t roll them off the assembly line fast enough to keep up with demand.
How to make city traffic worse: If there is one thing San Francisco doesn’t need, it is a truly kooky plan to make city traffic more confusing and dangerous for everybody. But that is exactly what the bicycle advisory committee of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission is considering. (Editorial, SF Examiner)
Fifth Spare The Air Day Declared For Friday: Residents are encouraged to drive less and use public transit when air is especially bad but transit will not be free Friday.
GM, Carnegie Mellon announce $5 million initiative for research into driverless vehicles: General Motors Corp. on Thursday announced a five-year, $5 million plan to fund research at Carnegie Mellon University into driverless vehicles that would ferry people to their destinations with greater safety and efficiency.
Motorcycle Ride Ends in Tragedy for Brothers: Police Radar Shows Speeds of Up to 100 MPH Before Crashes Off an Exit Ramp in Baltimore.
NHTSA to Hear 'Silent Killer' Complaints: Hybrids pose risk to visually impaired.
Why driver in fatal crash was unlicensed: MOTORIST IN GIRL'S DEATH LIVES IN U.S. ILLEGALLY, POLICE SAY
Neighborhood bands together to target speeders: The Dream Homes Organization, in a partnership with Inland Congregations United for Change, recently organized meetings with Cathedral City officials and police to discuss the safety and future of their neighborhood.
Pinole motorcyclist killed in North Richmond crash: A 37-year-old Pinole man died late Thursday night when he lost control of his motorcycle and crashed on Richmond Parkway, the California Highway Patrol said.
China Sharply Raises Energy Prices: The Chinese government unexpectedly announced sharp increases late Thursday night in regulated prices for gasoline, diesel and electricity.
JUNE 19
U.S. drivers should think in gallons per mile: report: If soaring gasoline prices have prompted you to look for a more fuel-efficient ride, using miles per gallon as a guide could lead you astray, U.S. researchers said on Thursday.—Reuters
Save the planet: Buy a used Geo Metro: ...According to the [Wired] story, if you buy a new Prius, you have to drive it 46,000 miles before you "pay back" the energy used to make it in the first place. However, you reduce your carbon footprint faster if you swap your current guzzler for a low-mileage used car.
California cellphone law may be more costly than the $20 fine: If there's a fatal car accident, a violator of the hand-held ban could face a felony charge, some experts say.
Amid rising gas prices, more in L.A. turning to commuter rail: Metrolink recorded its highest number of riders for a single day. More than 50,000 people boarded its trains Tuesday.
Driving Less, Americans Finally React to Sting of Gas Prices, a Study Says: A new report by Cambridge Energy Research Associates, a consulting firm affiliated with IHS Inc., says the slowdown in the economy and soaring gasoline prices have finally persuaded Americans to drive fewer miles in fewer gas-guzzling vehicles.
Prices Climb, Bay Area Bridge Traffic Drops: Bay Area drivers are fleeing the roadways in greater numbers and turning to public transportation as a general economic downturn and rising gas prices hit home, according to Bay Area transit agencies.
Schwarzenegger to fight offshore drilling: Election-year politics likely to doom federal efforts to cut gas prices.
Commuters get free rides on Spare the Air day: the only one this year.
Caltrans to trim noise during tunnel project: Caltrans will spend $8 million during construction of a fourth bore of the Caldecott Tunnel to reduce noise and pollution from the project, under an agreement the Oakland City Council approved this week.
Free transit draws crowds to trolleys, trains: More than 30 transit agencies in the Bay Area are offering free rides today in an effort to lure drivers out of their cars and help ease the pain of more than $4.50 a gallon gas.
San Jose makes it easier to slow down traffic City makes it easier to slow down traffic: The San Jose City Council voted Tuesday to make it easier for residents citywide to get speed humps and other traffic-calming devices installed on their streets.
Transit agencies must adapt to larger ridership: To start with, the Bay Area needs creative solutions to immediate problems - such as insufficient car parking and inadequate bike storage - caused by the recent spike in transit use. (Editorial, Mercury News)
GM reassigns big-truck engineers to develop fuel-efficient cars: "This is hugely significant," said Rebecca Lindland, an analyst for Global Insight Inc. "This is a clear sign they are reevaluating everything, because this has been the core of their bottom line for years."
Toyota’s current green scheme: The company has promised two new hybrid vehicles, a third-generation Prius and a good long look at batteries.
Drivers Turning to Lower-Grade Gas: For gas station managers, fuel suppliers and motorists across the country, the run on the cheaper fuel has led to more uncertainty at the pumps, as some stations have run out of the cheaper grades.
Driving to distraction: Cell-phone use in the car is worse than drinking to the legal limit, some say.
CHP Credits Enforcement with Drop in Accidents: Since 1996, traffic accidents on Highway 17 between San Jose and Santa Cruz have dropped 50%, according to the California Highway Patrol. Authorities credit increased enforcement with the drop in collisions.
Rail crossings remain deadly: Indiana is 2nd in train-vehicle accidents
JUNE 18
East Bay transportation officials send 1,900 people free bus passes: The pilot program is aimed at people who live in 20 properties, mostly apartment buildings, with regular bus service nearby. The complexes are around western Alameda and Contra Costa counties, and in Oakland, Berkeley San Leandro, El Cerrito and Emeryville.
Congressional stalemate over renewable energy: Even as lawmakers of both parties talk about the need to shift the country toward clean, renewable energy, Congress is in danger of letting key tax credits that have fueled the growth of wind and solar power expire at the end of the year.
Muni train likely speeding before crash: A Muni train may have been traveling nearly six times the speed limit when it crashed into another train near the Giants ballpark on Saturday afternoon, transit officials told The Chronicle on Tuesday.
Marin supervisors adopt blueprint on open space: The plan, produced by the county's Parks and Open Space Department, envisions acquisition of 15,000 acres of open space containing 50 miles of new trails over the next 20 years.
California DHS approves $25M for ferries: The agency plans to use the money from the 2006 voter-approved transportation bond to build a ferry terminal in South San Francisco, continue planning terminals in Berkeley and Hercules and do environmental studies for new ferry service out of Redwood City, Antioch, Martinez and Richmond.
BART starts EIR planning for Livermore rail extension: BART is considering at least three possible rail alignments, each following the Interstate 580 median out of the current Dublin-Pleasanton station.
CHP set to enforce hands-free law: "We're going to hit the ground running, and initially we anticipate a lot of citations," Cross said Monday during a news conference at CHP headquarters in Redwood City.
Proposal would change rules for bicyclists at stop signs: Bicyclists, who often raise the ire of drivers and pedestrians for their loose interpretation of traffic laws, could be allowed to roll through stop signs and travel through red lights after halting.
Class Tests Carbon Trading, With Troubling Results: Competing groups of classmates, each with different "portfolios" of power-generating plants, vie with each other to get the best price for their power during a three-week period.
Home buying practices adjust to high gas prices: In his hunt for a new home, Demetrius Stroud crunched the numbers to find out that, with gas prices climbing, moving near an Amtrak station is the best thing for his wallet.
UK food companies collaborate on transportation: The industry believes that through such initiatives it will save 48m miles of travel by the end of 2008 alone, conserving 23m litres of diesel each year.
JUNE 17
Israel backs Palo Alto man's electric car plan: Shai Agassi, a Silicon Valley entrepreneur, pledges that he can beat the spiraling cost of gasoline with the world's first mass-produced electric car.
Probe continues into Muni rear-ender crash: The Municipal Railway train driver who rear-ended another train in a weekend collision that sent 12 people to the hospital has four years experience at the controls.
Support for gas tax hike drops with higher fuel prices: Rising gas prices have soured support for the idea of imposing a 10-cents-per-gallon gasoline tax in the Bay Area to fight global warming by paying to expand public transit or reduce traffic congestion.
BERKELEY OFFICIALS UNVEIL PILOT PROGRAM FOR TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT: Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates will join transit and housing officials in Berkeley Tuesday to unveil a pilot program that will provide up to 1,900 East Bay residents free transportation for a year.
Latest Honda Runs on Hydrogen, Not Petroleum: On Monday, Honda Motor celebrated the start of production of its FCX Clarity, the world’s first hydrogen-powered fuel-cell vehicle intended for mass production.
Teen dies when car plunges 500 feet: Police say 18-year-old Mary E. Lange likely was not wearing a seat belt and was ejected from the car.
JUNE 16
SUBSIDIES--A BIG CULPRIT IN HIGH GAS PRICES: Gasoline would be cheaper if countries ended their oil subsidies and let markets rule. (Editorial, Christian Science Monitor)
JUNE 10
Muni talks freeze - union won't budge: Union leaders say they won't agree to Muni managers' demands without a promise of better pay and benefits.
Rebuilt 1914 street car headed for a Muni line: How would you like to be taken out of retirement and sent back to daily work at the age of 94?
Oakland reaches deal over Caldecott bore: In a bid to remove one of the last obstacles to punching a new hole through the East Bay Hills between Oakland and Orinda, the Oakland City Council will vote next week on an agreement with Caltrans to stave off a legal challenge to the $420 million Caldecott Tunnel fourth bore project.
The cost of raiding transportation funds: commentary
Fuel Prices Challenge Cars' Reign: $4 Gas Transforms Buying Habits, Affecting Everything From Vacations to Pizza Orders
Soaring costs are squeezing gas station owners too: Station operators say the squeeze began years ago, as oil companies siphoned off more of the profits, took a cut of in-store sales and left owners to grapple with higher rents and equipment mandates.
Cargo has L.A. traffic at a crawl: As trucks and trains haul a flood of foreign goods from Southern California ports, commuters fight for space with freight. (LA Times, Part 3)
Girl, 16, badly hurt in Newhall crash: Her SUV was accidentally sideswiped by her boyfriend's vehicle and ran off the road, authorities said. She was hospitalized with major injuries.
'Hypermilers': Squeezing Out Every Mile Per Gallon
Americans put themselves on the path to green careers: Interest and job openings grow in a variety of eco-friendly fields.
JUNE 9
Method uses 'Bluetooth' to track travel time for vehicles, pedestrians: "We came up with the idea at INDOT and developed the prototype this year from off-the-shelf hardware," James Wasson, an engineer from the Indiana Department of Transportation.said.
Caltrain to raise fares as fuel costs rise: Officials said the small, midyear hike would likely be just about enough to cover the projected rise in fuel costs.
Give state’s transportation the help it needs: AB 3021 recently passed the Assembly and is in the Senate. It really needs to get to the governor's desk for his signature. (Opinion, Sacramento Bee)
Dublin/Pleasanton BART parking garage opens: The garage replaces nearby surface parking that will be redeveloped with high-density homes within walking distance of the station.
AC Transit directors to discuss higher fares: Soaring fuel costs have driven AC Transit's ridership up 3 percent, and more than 50 percent on some longer commuter routes, said AC Transit spokesman Clarence Johnson. Despite the spike in the number of riders in the last six months, the state budget being considered in Sacramento includes cuts of $19 million in AC Transit operating funds and $1.4 billion from public transit statewide beginning July 1.
Letting gridlock loose on L.A: When approving developments, local officials have sidestepped laws meant to limit the effects on traffic. (LA Times, Part 2)
The Varying Impact of Gas Prices: Gas prices are high throughout the country, but how hard they hit individual families depends on income levels, which vary widely. (Graphic, NY Times)
Rural U.S. Takes Worst Hit as Gas Tops $4 Average: A survey found that people in 13 American counties, all in rural areas, spent 13 percent or more of their income on gasoline.
A limit on passengers could save lives of many teen drivers: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says the risk of a crash in a vehicle with a teen driver with multiple passengers is three to five times greater than if that young driver is alone.
PORTS gives real-time marine information: Mississippi port becomes 15th to get system.
Spanish Truckers Block Border: In the latest show of distress, Spanish truckers Monday began a blockade of their country’s border with France, lining up their rigs and slowing them to a crawl to protest the cost of diesel fuel. The price of diesel — widely used in private cars as well as by truckers, fishermen and farmers — can reach the equivalent of almost $9 per gallon.
$1m system helps planes spend less time in the air: An online air traffic management system developed by Airways New Zealand means planes are spending less time circling airports, burning up fuel.
JUNE 8
$5 gas? Most analysts don't think we'll see $5 gas this summer. Americans have been so stunned by this decade's run-up in prices that they've finally started driving less, and the drop in demand for gasoline should keep prices from passing the $5 milestone.
OUR (GREENHOUSE) GAS REDUCTION ACT: Don't think that Europeans didn't get a kick out of the outrage that followed after prices at American pumps surpassed $4 per gallon.
Highway 4 bypass safety questioned: "Most people come down off the freeway onto the highway bypass at high-rate freeway speeds and have the tendency to be reckless and drift into oncoming traffic," Calderon said.
Gas taxes set to rise in some states: All of the talk among political candidates about a federal gas tax holiday to offset soaring prices at the pump misses a critical fact: state taxes are, for the most part, even more costly for drivers.
Prop. 13 has a timely anniversary: By happenstance, the 30th anniversary of California's tax revolt – one that reverberated across the country – occurred Friday just as its politicians were confronting the latest in a series of fiscal crises that have plagued the state ever since voters passed Proposition 13 in 1978.
Prop. 13 did everything it promised, and more: The initiative also changed the way government works – or doesn't work – in unexpected ways.
L.A.'s commuters can't even go nowhere fast: We then tracked down as many drivers as we could -- running their plates through the Department of Motor Vehicles -- to find out what their stories might say about how we live, in a way that statistics alone cannot. (LA Times, Part 1)
Stopping Aggressive Drivers From on High: The Long Beach police have begun cracking down on speeders and reckless drivers with a novel approach — stationing an officer in a utility-truck bucket 25 feet in the air.
JUNE 7
Senate defeat puts climate bill on tough road: The bill, which would have cut U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by two-thirds by 2050, was pulled from the floor by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., Friday after the Senate failed to pass a procedural vote to limit amendments and move the bill forward.
Removal of emergency call boxes on highway has some worried: With cell phone service in the mountainous area spotty, Lange worries that motorists involved in an accident or who see a fire won't be able to contact authorities in time.
Taxi on duty in Stinson: West Marin Taxi, a cab company serving southwest Marin County, could see its first runs next week. Or maybe next month. Even company founder John Posadas, 61, can't say exactly when the keys to the one-car fleet will be turned with paying customers in tow.