10 people to follow in transportation

Welcome to the latest edition of Rev, Lyft’s guide to the ideas, people, and technologies driving the transportation revolution.

This week’s edition focuses specifically on the people part of our mission statement, with stories on notable figures spurring on the future of transportation, whether from under a car or behind a computer screen.?

IN THIS ISSUE

• Meet Rev’s ten people to follow in transportation
• A 20-something Brooklyn musician is using AI to redesign every street
• Do you know when to change your tires? Watch the debut of our new video series “Ask a Mechanic” to find out

Whether you’re new to the world of transportation or you’re already ranting about things like bike lanes and electric vehicle policy, our list of ten noteworthy transportation voices across social media is for you. Choosing only ten was tricky, but here’s a sampling of those who made our short list:?

Charles T. Brown, MPA, CPD , the founder and CEO of Equitable Cities and host of the Arrested Mobility podcast, talks frequently about how racial inequity is built into the fabric of our urban design. Follow him on Twitter for critical discussions around the systemic and structural reasons Black people’s ability to move freely and safely is restricted every time they leave their houses — and what we can do about it.

Hayden Clarkin, EIT , transportation engineer, planner, and self-described “Transit Guy,” is known for sharing his thoughts on everything from reimagining Penn Station to the tyranny of parking spaces. Follow him for down-to-earth and approachable transit facts and insights from cities around the world (also lots of rants against parking spaces). He’s on Twitter, Mastodon, and LinkedIn.

Natalia Barbour, Ph.D. , assistant professor at the University of Central Florida, researches travel behaviors and how to get people to adopt new ways of moving. Follow her on Twitter for insights on urban design, sustainability, and a celebration of walkable, bikeable cities.

Read the full list and find out more about their contributions, and where to stay updated on them, here.

The musician using AI to redesign every street in the world

In the summer of 2022, 28-year-old Brooklyn musician Zach Katz launched Better Streets AI, a project in which he uses Open AI’s DALL-E 2 image generator to redesign photos of roadways around the globe, visualizing how they’d look if they were pedestrian-friendly and car-free. His aim: start a conversation and get them revamped for real.

Katz began posting his imagery on a Twitter account, @betterstreetsai, and quickly made waves among transportation writers, activists, and politicians. In the intervening months, he’s gotten requests to redesign city streets from mayors and officials in some of America’s largest cities and received attention from major outlets such as Bloomberg, Vice, Axios, and the Los Angeles Times.?

Rev recently interviewed Katz about how the Better Streets AI project is going, his goals, and what impact it’s having on the streets of the real world. Read it all here.

Ask a Mechanic: Do I need new tires?

Everyone has questions about their car. It might be: How do I get these rats out of my engine? What should I do about that odd smell in the front seat? Or: When should I get my tires replaced? So we asked a seasoned mechanic for answers.?

(By the way, did you know Lyft Pink members get free roadside assistance and discounted car maintenance services — all from the Lyft app? More info can be found on Lyft Pink here.)

That’s all for this week. If you liked this newsletter, please share it!?

Until next time, ride safe,

~ Rev Staff?