Category Archives: Transportation

Opportunity Knocks, 36,000 Feet in the Air

On December 17th, 1903, two brothers took to the skies. Orville and Wilbur Wright’s 12-second inaugural flight near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina launched a revolution that would affect everything from war to commerce to vacations. For National Aviation Day—established by … Continue reading

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Making Cycling and Walking Safer

If you biked or walked to work today, you’re not alone. Nearly a million more people reported walking or biking to work in 2013 than in 2005. This week is Bike to Work Week, so the WatchBlog is taking a … Continue reading

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Vehicle Cybersecurity (podcast)

You may not have noticed, but your car is turning into a computer on wheels. Software now controls things like braking and steering, as well as hands-free calling and keyless entry. But if your car is like a computer, is … Continue reading

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Air Travel and Communicable Diseases (podcast)

Stopping communicable disease from spreading via air travel involves local, national, and international efforts, as illustrated by the 2015 Ebola epidemic. How do governments plan and coordinate with airports and airlines that potentially carry sick passengers? Listen to Gerald Dillingham, … Continue reading

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Pedestrian and Cyclist Safety (podcast)

If you biked or walked to work today, you’re not alone. Nearly a million more people reported walking or biking to work in 2013 than in 2005. But while total traffic fatalities have declined in recent years, this was not … Continue reading

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Turning Teens into Safer Drivers

When we reported on teen driver safety in 2010, 16- to 20-year-old drivers had the highest fatal crash rate of any age group in the United States. To help address this, many states adopted laws restricting teen driving. Late last year, … Continue reading

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Hurricane Katrina: 10 Years after the Storm

It’s been a decade since Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast. In that time, we’ve examined almost every aspect of federal recovery efforts following the storm. Today, we look back at some of that work and explore how to reduce … Continue reading

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Mobility Ability: 25 Years of ADA Transit Services

Millions of Americans wake up knowing they must use some sort of public transportation during the day, whether for commuting, shopping, banking, getting to the doctor, or visiting friends and family.

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Aviation Safety: Need to Know

While the U.S. aviation system is one of the safest in the world and major aircraft crashes have become less common, close calls in the air and on the ground still frequently occur. For National Safety Month, the WatchBlog gathered … Continue reading

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Vehicle-to-Vehicle Technologies—the Future of Road Safety?

Every year in the United States, vehicle accidents result in millions of injuries and tens of thousands of deaths. While the number of fatalities has generally decreased over time—in part due to safety improvements such as seat belts—advanced technologies currently … Continue reading

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