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But WMATA hasn’t historically made public hay over its data on how many boxes are broken, or how much money that problem costs. Is WMATA tackling that low-hanging fruit? Does it attract the kind of resources this campaign will dedicate to stopping fare evasion, or is that reserved for problems where individuals can be blamed?
Apples to Hand Grenades: Why Transit Fare Evasion Is an Untimely Distraction – Greater Greater Washington
Caitlin Rogger
In 2009, Los Angeles conducted a traffic speed study and raised the speed limit on Zelzah Avenue from 35 mph to 40 mph. In 2018, the city again studied existing traffic speeds, and again raised the speed limit, this time to 45 mph. While other additional factors may also have played a role in speeds inching up over time, absent any design or land use changes, the increase suggests that the 85th percentile operating speed can shift over time in accordance with the posted speed limit. Notably, this time period in LA corresponded to a 92 percent increase in pedestrian fatalities.
Designed to Fail | National Association of City Transportation Officials
nacto.org
A so-called objective function, a mathematical means of scoring outcomes, can reward the algorithm if it guesses correctly. This process is how commercial AI works. YouTube, for example, wants to keep its users engaged, watching more videos so that they keep seeing ads. The objective function is designed to maximize user engagement. The algorithm tries to serve up content that keeps a user’s eyes on the page. Depending on whether its guess was right or wrong, the algorithm updates its model of what the user is likely to respond to.
Spirals of Delusion
foreignaffairs.com
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