Author: Karen E. Philbrick (Karen E. Philbrick)

On Caltrain, it’s quiet. There are no hurrying commuters, no noisy tourists, no need to rush to snag a window seat or grab a spot in the bike car. Empty. In the midst of COVID-19, crowded busses, trains and subways have become reminders of a pre-pandemic daily routine that for more than 300 million people...

Envision a city street, each day traversed by more than 21,000 vehicles, suddenly devoid of traffic. The incessant honking of horns and revving of engines quieted. The danger of cars rushing past you instead replaced with a safe space for walking, bicycling and public transit. Just last year, New York City closed off one of...

As you approach an intersection, you see flashing red lights and hear a bell alerting drivers that a train is approaching. You take a quick peek and see that the train is still several thousand feet away and you think, ‘surely I have enough time to beat it.’ Think again. Trains can be deceptively silent...

Thirty years ago the San Andreas Fault ruptured near Loma Prieta Peak, 10 miles northeast of Santa Cruz, creating the largest urban earthquake in more than 80 years. That magnitude 6.9 earthquake took 63 lives and injured another 3,757. In 2018, the Camp Fire tore through Northern California communities becoming the deadliest and most destructive...

You are safely driving along when that incoming text notification demands your immediate attention. There doesn’t seem to be anything in the way ahead — why not take a quick look? It might be something important from work or maybe it’s a family member — surely something worth the quick diversion. This thought process is,...

Surrounded by cars with only a sea of brake lights in the distance, minutes ticking by as anxiety levels rise and feelings of frustration intensify – a situation Bay Area commuters know all too well. Congestion here is pervasive and worsening, and in 2017 the average Bay Area driver spent 79 hours stuck in traffic....