About a year ago I wrote about how NYC is considering a congestion charge on vehicles entering Manhattan below 60th street. Well it looks like that plan could be adopted as early as April 1 (however the fees won't start until 2021). Here's a map of the proposed congestion pricing zone from the NY Times:

I have written extensively on road pricing over the years and so I won't repeat myself here today. Suffice to say that I think creating a sustainable funding source for transit and other mobility options is a positive step forward.

We drove on the Autobahn today. Our Ford remained as smooth as ever. They take their cars seriously here and force regular inspections. But this got me wondering about safety records and why more countries haven't adopted similar approaches to highway driving. Here is Germany's 2014 record from Wikipedia:

It turns out that the injury and fatality rates on the Autobahn -- measured per billion vehicle kilometers traveled -- are actually relatively low compared to urban and rural road classes. It is also relatively low compared to international standards. Here is a 2012 comparison, also via Wikipedia:

Europe as a whole does very well in this regard (not that this specifically addresses Autobahn safety). Generally, fatalities have declined significantly over the last few decades. Here is a chart from the World Health Organization:

What is clear to me after seeing this data, though, is that the greater problem looks to exist outside of our highways and motorways.

CES is underway right now in Las Vegas. About 200,000 people are in attendance. 

Since tech and mobility are today closely intertwined, the show has become an important platform for the automative industry.

Here is a video showcasing BMW’s new iNext concept (expected by 2021):

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9-f3cALABk&w=560&h=315]

It is based on level 3 autonomy, which means the car will do mostly everything, but you need to be ready to take over at any time.

The video is interesting because it begins to show you what becomes possible when you no longer need to pay attention to the road. It is a bit like flying (but hopefully more enjoyable). 

And here is a video of Bell’s new urban air taxi, which is called Nexus (expected by the mid-2020s):

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1o4d8N-A1G8&w=560&h=315]

This is the company’s first concept. But they’ve been working with Uber since 2017 to develop a network of flying taxis for cities.

Finally, flying cars.

About a year ago I wrote about how NYC is considering a congestion charge on vehicles entering Manhattan below 60th street. Well it looks like that plan could be adopted as early as April 1 (however the fees won't start until 2021). Here's a map of the proposed congestion pricing zone from the NY Times:

I have written extensively on road pricing over the years and so I won't repeat myself here today. Suffice to say that I think creating a sustainable funding source for transit and other mobility options is a positive step forward.

We drove on the Autobahn today. Our Ford remained as smooth as ever. They take their cars seriously here and force regular inspections. But this got me wondering about safety records and why more countries haven't adopted similar approaches to highway driving. Here is Germany's 2014 record from Wikipedia:

It turns out that the injury and fatality rates on the Autobahn -- measured per billion vehicle kilometers traveled -- are actually relatively low compared to urban and rural road classes. It is also relatively low compared to international standards. Here is a 2012 comparison, also via Wikipedia:

Europe as a whole does very well in this regard (not that this specifically addresses Autobahn safety). Generally, fatalities have declined significantly over the last few decades. Here is a chart from the World Health Organization:

What is clear to me after seeing this data, though, is that the greater problem looks to exist outside of our highways and motorways.

CES is underway right now in Las Vegas. About 200,000 people are in attendance. 

Since tech and mobility are today closely intertwined, the show has become an important platform for the automative industry.

Here is a video showcasing BMW’s new iNext concept (expected by 2021):

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9-f3cALABk&w=560&h=315]

It is based on level 3 autonomy, which means the car will do mostly everything, but you need to be ready to take over at any time.

The video is interesting because it begins to show you what becomes possible when you no longer need to pay attention to the road. It is a bit like flying (but hopefully more enjoyable). 

And here is a video of Bell’s new urban air taxi, which is called Nexus (expected by the mid-2020s):

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1o4d8N-A1G8&w=560&h=315]

This is the company’s first concept. But they’ve been working with Uber since 2017 to develop a network of flying taxis for cities.

Finally, flying cars.