Rivka Fogel
Rivka Fogel's Latest Posts

New Research: Your Most Bike-Friendly States, and the Scarcity of Female Commuter Cyclists
9/28/2012 — BikeGuard: The Free Bike Registry, has just released information on commuter cycling by state and gender. Here are their key findings: Washington, D.C. has the highest percentage of bike commuters, at 3.13 percent Arkansas has a dismal .06 percent. Women rarely bike to work: 74 percent of bike commuters nationally are male, in […]

Lessons from Seattle: How Signage Reduces Parking Fines
Signs like these make parking regulations clear and easy to follow . September 10, 2012 — In Seattle, a private parking company was recently fined $55,000 for issuing misleading parking tickets to unsuspecting citizens. These signs promise a flexible and feasible appeals process, which, as Assistant Attorney General Jake Bernstein points out, “is murky at best.”

10 Ways to Walk Back to Your Car Safely
Know when you’re vulnerable: parking garages have a high crime rate (via Cape Town Daily). August 30, 2012 — Dim and unfenced, parking garages are among the most likely settings for abduction or assault. In garages, people are easier targets; they are busy, preoccupied, often alone, and carrying their valuables. Garages themselves have all the […]

Electric Cars Get a Boost with BMW Vehicle Sharing Program
BMW board member Ian Robertson and San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee (via BMW). August 27, 2012 — After taking a hit in the form of sign regulation and image, the electric car industry is again resurfacing — with the help of a little car company called BMW. The automobile giant launched its electric car share program […]

Your DMV Record Can Predict Your Untimely Death – And Raise Your Premiums
Slow down — for your health, and your wallet RoadTrafficSigns.com. August 21, 2012 — If you’ve got a lead foot, your need for speed could cost you – in more ways than you think. Now add your life insurance company to the list of folks keeping tabs on your driving habits (and what those habits […]

Outsourced Enforcement Proves Effective, Doubles Atlanta Parking Revenue in 2011
Stricter parking enforcement protects resident parking and ensures parking efficiency (via MyParkingSign). August 16, 2011 — Atlanta, Georgia, is seeing the benefit of privatizing parking — over 8 million dollars in benefit. Three years ago, Atlanta’s parking system was losing the city respect and money as lax enforcement and lack of parking personnel affected the city’s […]

The Top Ten Worst and Best States for Pedestrian Safety
The number of pedestrian accidents and fatalities varies with location (via PedestrianSigns). August 13, 2012 — The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration just released 2010 Data on pedestrian safety. Pedestrian fatalities accounted for about 13% of all traffic-related deaths in 2010, amounting to 4280 deaths in the United States. This is a four percent increase […]

Maryland Introduces Stricter Driver Testing
State regulations make it tougher for teens to get driver’s licenses (via Delmarvanow). August 10, 2012 — Tougher state regulations in Maryland regarding driver license requirements are making it more difficult for teens to be certified. Before this, students had to wait six months before taking the driver’s test. During that time span, they had to have at least […]

Teen’s Near Death Inspires No Texting While Driving Campaign
Teen texts about No Texting and Driving before driving off a cliff (via Time). August 6, 2012 — Moments before Chance Bothe drove off of a cliff, he texted: “I need to quit texting, because I could die in a car accident.” Irony aside, Bothe’s accident highlights the serious dangers of texting while driving.

Pedestrian Crossing Signs Throughout History
(via PedestrianSigns) August 3, 2012 — Imagine being stranded on one side of the road for an hour, unable to cross the street as a never-ending line of cars wiz by. Sound unlikely? If it weren’t for Pedestrian crossings or crosswalks, we all would be stuck waiting for traffic to subside. If it didn’t, we’d […]

Courageous Preteen Takes The Wheel After Grandfather Suffers Heart Attack In Driver’s Seat
Even as traffic accidents remain common, one last Tuesday had Miranda Bowman, pictured with her family above, steering the car to safety after her grandfather had a heart attack at the wheel. (via PhillyBurbs) July 31, 2012 — When twelve-year-old Miranda Bowman begged her grandfather Paul Parker to take her to a go-kart track, she […]