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Stop for a moment and think of 40 people you know. Think of their names, their faces. Now imagine them gone from your life forever. Forty people have died this year in San Jose in road collisions. Last year, 42,795 people—the population of a small city—died in collisions across the United States. When we read these...
Philbrick: We must protect our transit infrastructure from cyber threats
In 2008, a teenage boy converted an old TV remote into an infrared transmitter and used it to hack his city’s tram system, tripping switches, redirecting trains, causing thousands of dollars in damage and injuring more than a dozen people. Ten years later, Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) discovered 86% of 1,000 hardware devices supplied...
Philbrick: Automated traffic cameras could save lives
Last September, 8-year-old Jacob Villanueva was struck and killed while walking to school. At the site of the crash at Castlemont Avenue and Driftwood Drive in San Jose, his family, neighbors and classmates created a memorial. One sign read, “Please drive slow.” The pain and anguish his family and friends feel will last a lifetime,...
Philbrick: Our approach to road safety needs to change
Do children ride their bikes to school in your neighborhood on the sidewalks or in a dedicated bike lane? Is there a marked crosswalk for your elderly neighbor to cross the street with his dog? Does the young woman whizzing by on the e-scooter have space to safely share the road? When you are jogging...
Philbrick: Communicating during an emergency
How do you know a fire or flash flood is approaching, and when do you make the decision to evacuate? How do you know how soon to leave, where to go and whether to drive or take the train? Creating and dispersing emergency alerts that bring accurate and timely information while motivating action is challenging....
Philbrick: High-speed rail is a sustainable way to connect California
High-speed rail boasts the potential to connect Californians faster than any other mode of ground transport, create a multitude of jobs in high-cost cities and increase economic activity—all while expanding sustainable transportation choices and reducing emissions. Transportation is the largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. According to the Environmental Protection Agency,...
Philbrick: How to provide more train safety and control
In its inaugural run from Seattle to Portland, Amtrak 501 derailed on Dec. 18, 2017. Several train cars crashed over an overpass and landed on the interstate near DuPont, Washington. Over 50 passengers and crew members were injured, as well as eight individuals in highway vehicles. Many of the injured required hospitalization, and three died as...
Philbrick: Making fareless transit a reality
Fareless transit is a tool in the mobility toolkit that has the potential to address ridership and equity issues while fighting skyrocketing gas prices and climate change—but who will pay for it? Public transit provides a reliable, safe, climate-friendly and equitable method to get from point A to B. But as with so many other...
Philbrick: Robots rolling by transportation equity concerns
A black-and-white, six-wheeled little robot rolls by you on the sidewalk. A pole protrudes from its back, sporting a neon-orange flag. What is it carrying? What on earth is it doing on the sidewalk? In the U.S., wheeled delivery robots and drones can and are being used to reach the 4.5 million people who live in...
Philbrick: Driving autism acceptance—not just awareness—in April
Most of us know someone with autism, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows 1 in 44 children has been identified with an autism spectrum disorder. Individuals with autism face hurdles in opportunities and support when it comes to education, employment, housing, health care and—you guessed it—transportation. How can we make transportation equitable and...