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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2009
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NEWS ABOUT: traffic

traffic stories: 35 news summaries

1 - 20 of 35 Stories | 1 2 Next >>

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 Road Noise Drives 
 Blood Pressure Up 

Stress, sleep interruptions may be at fault: researchers

Sep 10, 09 12:41 PM CDT
(Newser) - People who live close to noisy roads may face a greater threat of developing high blood pressure than residents of quieter areas, researchers in Sweden say. People experiencing average daily noise exposure above 60 decibels have a more than 25% higher risk of hypertension, a study shows. The researchers link... More »

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hypertension • traffic • public health • blood pressure • medical research • Sweden • health research • health study

 Road Rarity: 
 Samoan Drivers 
 Moving to Left Side 

Drivers will stick to left as country becomes first in 40 years to change

Aug 14, 09 8:30 AM CDT
(Newser) - There’s upheaval in Samoa as a cultural shift changes the country’s direction—on the road. On September 7, Samoa is set to become the first country in 40 years to switch the side of the road used for driving, writes Tom Vanderbilt in Salon. The Pacific island nation... More »

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traffic • Sweden • political demonstrations • protesters • drivers • Samoa

(Newser) - The Abbey Road crosswalk made famous by the Beatles' album cover may be eliminated because hordes of fans are making it unsafe, say legislators. Accidents at the London intersection have climbed as an increasing number of fans pose on the striped crosswalk for photos, reports the Telegraph. “Maybe it... More »

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London • traffic • Beatles • collisions • intersection • politicians • Abbey Road • traffic accidents

(Newser) - A judge went easy yesterday on the Virginia man who pulled over to help geese cross a highway only to be slapped with a jaywalking ticket, the Washington Post reports. The judge said Jozsef Vamosi probably broke the law, but said he’d drop the case if the 60-year-old remained... More »

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traffic • court • Virginia • geese • Jozsef Vamosi

 Traffic Congestion Dips  
 as Economy Falters 

US sees two-year congestion decline for first time ever

Jul 8, 09 8:40 AM CDT
(AP) - Drivers are spending less time stuck in rush-hour traffic for a second straight year, the first-ever 2-year decline in congestion. Blame high gas prices and the economic downturn, which have forced many Americans to change how they commute. In individual cities, Los Angeles traffic is getting better but is still... More »

MORE ABOUT:
energy • pollution • traffic • gas prices • congestion • economy • traffic jam • rush hour

(Newser) - The surge in Internet traffic yesterday as Michael Jackson fans searched for information about his death had a deep impact on the Web, Ars Technica reports. Sites as diverse as Twitter and the iTunes Store slowed to a crawl, but perhaps the most profound effect was on Google. The search... More »

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entertainment • music • social networking • Google • Internet • traffic • spam • death • iTunes Store • Michael Jackson • Twitter

(Newser) - In the battle for the blogosphere, left-leaning sites are clobbering their conservative counterparts, thanks mostly to the Huffington Post, David Kaplan writes for paidContent. Liberal sites attracted 6.4 million unique visitors in April, to 4.8 million for conservative sites. Of those, 5.6 million were Huffington Post hits,... More »

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media • traffic • Drudge Report • DailyKos • Michelle Malkin • Tucker Carlson • Huffington Post • blogs • MyDD • TheDailyCaller.com

 Pedestrians Drive 
 Cars From 
 Times Square 

New York begins experiment with car-free intersection

May 25, 09 6:14 AM CDT
(Newser) - Times Square was transformed yesterday from a crush of traffic into a pedestrian mall, as New York began a months-long experiment at the city's busiest intersection. Cars have been banned along Broadway from 42nd to 47th streets, as well as in Herald Square to the south. Tourists and locals were... More »

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New York City • New York • traffic • Broadway • Times Square • automobile • intersection

 400K Churn Through DC Transit 

Woman hits tracks

Jan 20, 09 10:19 AM CST
(Newser) - Passengers swarmed Washington’s subway and bus system today, with Metro reporting more than 409,000 entries into the system as of 9am, pushing the public transit system to its limits, the Washington Post reports. At one point, service on the Red Line was disrupted when a 68-year-old woman... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Barack Obama • subway • Washington DC • traffic • Washington Metro • buses • Inauguration Day

Frisco Debates Downtown Traffic Fee

Motorists balk at prospect of paying up to $5 to drive to city center

Dec 30, 08 4:27 AM CST
(Newser) - A plan to charge motorists for driving downtown in peak hours could be a step too far even for famously green San Francisco, the Los Angeles Times reports. City officials say the plan, which would be the first of its kind in the nation if it passes, would reduce traffic... More »

MORE ABOUT:
California • San Francisco • congestion pricing • traffic • toll • congestion • public transit

 Public Transit 
 Returns to 
 Baghdad 

Commuter train has run for a month, mayor proposes subway system

Nov 18, 08 2:10 PM CST
(Newser) - After years of destabilizing violence, Baghdad has a commuter train again, the LA Times reports. For about a month, the “Baghdad Metro,” as employees call it, has made two complete trips around the city in the morning and afternoon for the benefit of working Iraqis who have to... More »

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Iraq • Baghdad • traffic • violence • commute • train • public transit

 Kate Busted 
 Driving While 
 Yakking 

Nabbed chatting on cell on country road

Oct 14, 08 6:00 AM CDT
(Newser) - Royal and apparently naughty girlfriend Kate Middleton was snapped by a photographer happily chatting on her cell phone while driving, in defiance of Britain's strict ban on using the devices behind the wheel, reports the Sun. Prince William's 26-year-old gal pal was deep in conversation as she tooled along a... More »

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Prince William • Kate Middleton • cell phones • traffic • British royals • traffic accident

Accidents Drop After Town Pulls Traffic Lights

Germans fare better without crosswalks, curbs, and rules

Sep 13, 08 6:29 PM CDT
(Newser) - Would life be better without stop lights? The people of Bohmte, Germany think so. The little town has not only removed traffic lights from its busy main drag, but curbs and crosswalks as well. All that’s left is one simple rule: Yield to the person on your right. It’... More »

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Germany • traffic • traffic light • pedestrian

US Slow to Hop On Global Biking Boom

Countries that encourage self-propelled commuting see benefits instantly

Aug 31, 08 3:34 PM CDT
(Newser) - The US remains uninspired by nations that have prodded people to save money by biking to work, the Washington Post reports. Germany, Denmark, and the Netherlands installed infrastructure years ago to benefit bikers and discourage cars, but America—along with Canada, Australia, and Britain—have not. "It is very... More »

MORE ABOUT:
pollution • traffic • bikes • bicycling • commuting • green transportation • cars

 Bike Sharing Debuts in DC 

$40 a year gives locals access to cycles parked citywide

Aug 15, 08 12:11 PM CDT
(Newser) - With its residents battling high fuel prices and heavy traffic, Washington, DC, has instituted a bike-sharing program: pay $40 a year, and you can borrow wheels from one of 10 stands across the city. Inspired by similar schemes abroad, SmartBike DC is using technology keep the system running smoothly, keeping... More »

MORE ABOUT:
environment • traffic • gas prices • bicycle • Washington, DC


 Cash Tolls Race 
 Toward Extinction 

'Open-road' payment systems catch on nationwide

Jul 28, 08 7:00 PM CDT
(Newser) - Cash toll booths are going the way of the Model T as "open-road tolling"—which lets drivers pay electronically without having to slow for booths or gates—gains traction, reports USA Today. Supporters say killing the cash-based system cuts down on everything from congestion to pollution to... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Texas • traffic • tollbooth • highways • gas tax • open-road tolling

Beijing Forces Half of Drivers Off the Road

Move to clear noxious air in countdown
to Olympics

Jul 21, 08 1:10 PM CDT
(AP) - Half of Beijing's drivers left their cars at home today and took public transportation on the first workday under new restrictions meant to clear the city's notoriously polluted skies before the Olympics. Under the plan that kicked in yesterday, half of the capital's 3.3 million cars will be removed... More »

MORE ABOUT:
China • Asia • traffic • 2008 Beijing Olympics • air pollution • cars

San Francisco Pioneers Smart Parking Spots

Wireless sensor network will alert drivers to open spaces

Jul 12, 08 7:48 AM CDT
(Newser) - The streets of San Francisco will be getting smarter this fall, reports the New York Times. The city is pioneering a program to add sensors to thousands of parking spaces; drivers will be alerted to empty spaces through displays on street signs or via their smartphones. City officials hope the... More »

MORE ABOUT:
San Francisco • traffic • parking space • sensor • congestion • smartphones • parking meters • urban planning

OPINION

Why $8 Gas Would Be Awesome

A call for a return to
the days when driving was for rich jerks

Jul 11, 08 11:17 AM CDT
(Newser) - Gas, as you may have heard, has topped $4 a gallon, and Joel Stein of the LA Times loves it. "Cheap gas is unfair," he argues, tongue mostly in cheek. Heck, why not make it $8 or even $10 a gallon, as in Europe, "where they have... More »

MORE ABOUT:
gas • traffic • gas prices • fuel costs • energy costs

GLOSSIES

 The Good in $4 Gas 

Less obesity, traffic, and accidents, for starters

Jul 2, 08 12:03 PM CDT
(Newser) - The rest of the world may have thought it would never happen, but energy prices are beginning to change Americans' behavior. Time notes some positive aspects:
  1. Jobs lost to globalization return, because energy costs make international shipping unattractive.
  2. Suburban sprawl is slowing as people choose to live closer
... More »

MORE ABOUT:
obesity • oil • gas • traffic • commute • gas prices • auto insurance

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