I’m all for new tech but all that’s really needed are Dutch style separated bike lanes and protected signal crossings if they really have this kind of money to burn. The vast majority of both cars and cyclists aren’t going to download a “watch out for bikes” app, this is silly and a waste of time and money. But wait– this is not the end-all-be-all DOT approved solution getting shovels into dirt; it’s just a tech showcase:
The tech behind it is kind of neat; giving cyclists some kind of transponder that will work with the “smart roads” systems of intelligent streets conditions networks. These are the different components that measure and relay auto traffic and post congestion info to those big signs over the roadways, or into your favorite mapping apps. But why are all the news outlets covering this technology exhibition as if it’s the thing to solve the larger problem though?
We suburbanites really need to remain laser focused on real shovel-in-the-dirt ideas that can save lives and enable alternative transport modes like safe cycling and building better modal transitions and pathways for example. Prepping for a once-a-season bike race is one thing, but being able to use a combination of my bike and a bus to get across Gwinnett County without killing or injuring myself would be pretty cool…
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