Three citywide hearings are scheduled to gather input on Phoenix's reverse lanes which are traditional center turn lanes during much of the day, but change into through lanes during rush hour. Arizona Republic
County, Cities May Lose Ability to Use Radar, Lasers
Beginning Jan. 1, drivers on I-85 and other roads through Gwinnett, County, Ga., may not have to worry about radar guns and laser detectors. The county and six cities in Gwinnett face the loss of their authority to deploy the speed detection devices because of an intergovernmental legal dispute. Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Self-Regulating Traffic Lights Improve Flow
Child Abuse Law Too Broad Says Court
A three-judge panel found a pair of Oregon statutes that ban certain people from providing minors with sexually explicit information unconstitutionally broad, reversing a district court judgment. The ruling sides with booksellers and others, including a grandmother, who sued to halt enforcement of the laws, which are aimed at preventing child abuse. Law.com
Bell, Calif., City Leaders Arrested in Salary Scandal
Los Angeles prosecutors filed charges today against eight leaders the Bell, Calif., city government, whose outsized salaries created a scandal that prompted national outrage. In a police sweep this morning, former Bell City Manager Robert Rizzo, whose exorbitant salary sparked the furor that led to the investigations of the city, was arrested, along with former Assistant City Manager Angela Spaccia. ABC News
Police Car Testing Has Skeptics
Ford, which has long dominated the police car market with its rear-wheel drive Crown Victoria, was working hard to overcome skeptics as it introduced a front-wheel drive Police Interceptor based on the Ford Taurus. “They will have a tough time,” said Terry Sweezey, public safety officer from Leoni Township. “It is a whole different driving system.” Detroit Free Press
California Pipeline Blast a Warning
T-Mobile Sued for Allegedly Blocking Pot-Related Texting
In a case with free speech and Net neutrality implications, T-Mobile has been sued by a text message marketing company for allegedly blocking access to the T-Mobile network because of a client that provided information on medical marijuana. CNET
Should Social Media Use by Government Be Regulated?
Policymakers across Asia have been busy drawing up guidelines for how civil servants should use social media to engage with the public. Should they go further and regulate its use? As officials in Indonesia, Hong Kong, and New Zealand revealed, opinion is divided on whether a firmer hand is needed to control e-engagement via web 2.0. FutureGov
Crime Plotted as Topographic Maps
Who knew that San Francisco had a mountain called ‘Prostitution Peak’? Such hidden ‘landscape features’ are revealed when the city’s crime statistics are analyzed as a 3D topographic map. Data visualization engineer Doug McCune shows how the city’s notorious hills can shift according to the type of crime, from larceny and vandalism to robbery and assault. Web Urbanist
Arson Still Not Ruled Out in Voting Machine Fire
A pre-dawn fire that destroyed nearly all of Harris County, Texas' voting machines last month likely erupted in a rear section of the north Houston warehouse that was used as a classroom and storage area, authorities said on Wednesday. Houston Fire Department arson dogs didn't find any accelerants. but arson is not yet ruled out. Houston Chronicle
School Buses to Carry Advertising
The traditional yellow buses that ferry children to school may soon get a new look following the Assembly Education Committee’s unanimous approval of a bill that would allow districts to display advertisements on their buses. New Jersey Star-Ledger
