@davidzipper@mastodon.social
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davidzipper

@davidzipper@mastodon.social

Senior Fellow at the MIT Mobility Initiative and Contributing Writer at Vox, focused on mobility, cities & tech. Words in CityLab, Slate, The Atlantic etc. Tweets: https://mastodon.social/@davidzipper #transportation #cities #innovation #technology #transit #cars #cycling #trafficsafety

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davidzipper, to cars
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I’ve spent much of this year examining car bloat, the process through which smaller vehicles are being replaced by increasingly massive SUVs and trucks.

What I’ve learned: Huge cars are terrible for society, often in ways that are hidden.

Some basic facts:
◆ >80% of US car sales are now trucks/SUVs.
◆ Models keep expanding. For example, the F-150 is now ~800 lbs heavier and 7 inches taller than in 1991.
◆ EVs can make the problem worse due to huge batteries.

Continued (THREAD)

davidzipper,
@davidzipper@mastodon.social avatar

Problem 1️⃣ : Car bloat endangers others on the street

Tall vehicles have bigger blind spots and are more likely to strike a person’s torso or head.

Heavier vehicles exert more force crashing into a person, bicycle, or smaller car. They also have longer braking distances.

davidzipper,
@davidzipper@mastodon.social avatar

Problem 2️⃣ : Car bloat worsens climate change

Heavier cars require more energy to move, which makes them guzzle gas.

When electrified, their huge batteries are so inefficient that the biggest models generate more pollution that some gas-powered sedans.

https://www.fastcompany.com/90854942/the-blatant-greenwashing-of-suvs

davidzipper,
@davidzipper@mastodon.social avatar

Problem 3️⃣ : Car bloat shreds tires

Heavier cars exert more pressure on tires, eroding them faster.

Tire particles are absorbed into water, where they damage ecosystems. They also float through the air, harming human health when ingested.

https://t.co/NN3EguO020

davidzipper,
@davidzipper@mastodon.social avatar

Problem 4️⃣ : Car bloat destroys roadways

Cars have become so heavy that US autohaulers can’t carry a full load w/o exceeding federal weight limits.

Car companies and truckers are asking Congress to raise those limits – but doing so would pulverize asphalt.

https://t.co/b1qFaTElbS

davidzipper,
@davidzipper@mastodon.social avatar

Problem 5️⃣ : Car bloat makes cars expensive

Big, heavy cars can be sold for more $. That’s why Stellantis CEO Sergio Marchionne made a famous pivot away from sedans in 2016, a move other carmakers followed.

It’s a key reason cars have become so pricey.

davidzipper,
@davidzipper@mastodon.social avatar

Even some automakers are recognizing the dangers of car bloat and calling for change.

Here is Stellantis' CTO in a recent interview.

https://t.co/4kA8qqYciQ

davidzipper,
@davidzipper@mastodon.social avatar

Some might say: “But people want big cars!”

Not necessarily. US automakers offer no alternative, and car bloat pushes buyers to upsize – if only to avoid being at a disadvantage on the road b/c others have big cars.

https://slate.com/business/2022/11/suv-size-truck-bloat-pedestrian-deaths.html

davidzipper,
@davidzipper@mastodon.social avatar

Summary: Car bloat is terrible – for road safety, for the planet, for equity, and for road maintenance.

But bigger cars are often more profitable, so automakers like making them.

The only way out: Government action. Examples:
🔹 Tax vehicles by weight.
🔹 Test vehicles for pedestrian and cyclist safety (still doesn’t happen in the US).
🔹 Require a CDL for the most gigantic vehicles.

Left alone, this problem will only worsen. Governments must step up.

https://slate.com/business/2023/01/electric-cars-hummer-ev-tax-fees-weight-joe-biden.html

davidzipper, to ebikes
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In the last 6 days the NY Times has run 4 articles about e-bikes -- all of them negative.

A few other stories the paper might consider:
🔹 E-bikes pollute far less than even electric cars
🔹 Compared to autos, e-bikes pose minimal risk to other people
🔹 Unlike cars, e-bikes provide exercise

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davidzipper, to cars
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A new New York State bill would require those caught speeding 6+ times to install a device that prevents their car from going 5 mph above the speed limit.

Seems like a no-brainer. Anyone with 6+ speeding tickets is a serious threat to public safety.

https://t.co/VtCodRcv5l

#safety #cars #newyork

davidzipper, to climate
@davidzipper@mastodon.social avatar

Tire pollution is already killing wildlife and sickening humans.

Massive, overpowered electric SUVs/trucks will make the problem far worse.

My new story in The Atlantic:

https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2023/07/electric-vehicles-tires-wearing-out-particulates/674750/

#climate #cars #pollution

davidzipper, to cars
@davidzipper@mastodon.social avatar

Crashes kill 43,000 people per year in the US.

Self-driving car companies claim to have the solution.

In Slate, I call bullshit.

https://slate.com/technology/2023/07/cruise-autonomous-vehicles-safety-waymo-self-driving-cars-ad-new-york-times.html

#autonomousvehicles #avs #cars #sanfrancisco

davidzipper, to ebikes
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My latest article in Bloomberg CityLab:

E-bike rebates are fantastic. So why are US states/cities making it so hard to get one?

#ebikes #bikes #cities #climate #climatechange

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-07-07/credit-suisse-sued-in-japan-over-sale-of-greensill-linked-bonds#xj4y7vzkg

davidzipper, to cars
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We already know that car bloat worsens climate change and causes crashes.

Add another problem: New SUVs/trucks (especially EVs) are so heavy that the car & trucking industries want Congress to lift weight limits – which would destroy asphalt.

Me in Slate: https://slate.com/business/2023/06/electric-vehicles-auto-haulers-weight-capacity-roads.html

#safety #SUVs #cars

davidzipper, to cycling
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In Fast Company, I argued that it's time for the US and Canada to end right-on-red, a policy that needlessly endangers pedestrians and cyclists.

#safety #walking #biking #cycling

https://www.fastcompany.com/90908929/its-time-for-a-nationwide-ban-of-right-on-red

davidzipper, to cycling
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I interviewed Congressman Earl Blumenauer, the founder of the Congressional Bike Caucus, about how Congress can encourage Americans to ride bikes for transportation, not just recreation.

Hint: e-bike rebates and parking cashouts have a lot to do with it.

https://slate.com/technology/2023/06/earl-blumenauer-bicycles-interview-congress-ebikes.html

#biking #bikes #congress #cycling

davidzipper, to random
@davidzipper@mastodon.social avatar

In The Atlantic, I explained why oversized EVs pose growing danger to those walking, biking, or inside smaller cars.

Biden and the US Department of Transportation have avoided acknowledging the risks – let alone addressing them.

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/06/large-electric-vehicles-road-safety-crashes/674249/

#cars #safety #electricvehicles #evs

davidzipper, to random
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What's more important: Making transit better or making it free?

As I wrote in Slate, a new fight in the District of Columbia shows that the tradeoff is real. One side has much stronger arguments on its side.

https://slate.com/business/2023/05/dc-free-busses-metro-k-street-transitway.html

#transit #cities

davidzipper, to random
@davidzipper@mastodon.social avatar

The US has ~a billion parking spots, covering an area twice the size of Connecticut. And we’ve made a total mess with them.

Today in CityLab, I spoke with Henry Grabar about his new book, Paved Paradise, and how the US can get a handle on its parking chaos.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2023-05-02/a-plea-to-unleash-the-power-of-parking-reform

#parking #cars #urban #cities

davidzipper, to random
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In Bloomberg CityLab, I interviewed historian Nick Bloom about The Great American Transit Disaster, his new book examining US transit’s 20th century decline.

Main lesson: Terrible policy choices -- not just the rise of cars -- are essential to the story.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2023-04-27/chronicling-of-the-collapse-of-public-transit-in-the-us

#transit #history

davidzipper, to random
@davidzipper@mastodon.social avatar

Good news: Automakers are finally realizing that car touchscreens are a disaster.

Drivers hate them, and they're also dangerously distracting. Buttons and knobs are poised for a comeback.

My new article in Slate:
https://slate.com/business/2023/04/cars-buttons-touchscreens-vw-porsche-nissan-hyundai.html

#cars #safety #technology

davidzipper, to random
@davidzipper@mastodon.social avatar

The bike parking at Dutch train stations is incredible. (22k spots in Utrecht’s Centraal Station -- for a city of 362k!).

As I explained in Bloomberg CityLab, there is serious strategy behind these fantastic bike facilities, and the USA should learn from it.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-04-20/how-the-dutch-investment-in-bike-parking-paid-off

#bikes #netherlands #train

davidzipper, to journalism
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It doesn't get any more [citation needed] than this

https://traffictechnologytoday.com/news/enforcement/research-suggests-enforcement-is-vital-in-20mph-zones.html

#transportation #safety #journalism

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