2020 Recap: How India survived COVID-19 pandemic - a series of lockdown, unlock https://ift.tt/2Jt4a4c

The year 2020 began with the fight against coronavirus, and it came with one of the most impactful changes in all our lives - the lockdown. As the novel coronavirus began settling itself in India and the number of positive cases reached nearly 500, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on March 24, announced a nationwide lockdown for 21 days. In his order, the prime minister mandated a restriction on all non-essential travel and services. Observers have even stated that the lockdown had actually slowed the growth rate of the pandemic by April 6.

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Smarter Traffic Signals Prioritize Transit and People

Smarter Traffic Signals Prioritize Transit and People By Robert Lim Have you ever wondered how traffic signals could better balance the needs of all road users, whether driving, bicycling, walking or taking Muni? The SFMTA is rolling out its Connected Corridor Pilot this month to use transit platform and traffic signal sensor data to inform signal timing adjustments. The pilot also aims to collect information to support transit efficiency and street safety improvements. Traffic engineers use signal timing adjustments as a tool to prioritize the flow of travel in specific directions or for different travel modes – Muni, people walking or driving – to meet the changing demands of the road network across different timepoints in a day. The Connected Corridors Pilot seeks to push the envelope of innovation by investing in advanced technologies, funded through a U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) grant. These tools will better position the city to serve the potential future ne...

Year-End Review of History Uncovered in 2021

Year-End Review of History Uncovered in 2021 By Jeremy Menzies As the year comes to an end, we are excited to present a selection of historic photos that were preserved in the SFMTA Photo Archive this year. Archive staff have been scanning and cataloguing archival Muni photos that date back 100+ years for over a decade now. Read more about our work in the 10 year milestone blog from 2018 . The images below are a set of richly colored slides, some of which were originally used in presentations by Muni staff in the 1970s. These photos have a wide range of subject matter from everyday street activity to scenic vistas, project documentation and important Muni milestones. A typical day in the life of a Muni Operator. This shot was taken near Market and 5th Streets in the early 1970s Here, customers board a 38 Geary bus painted for the 1976 Bicentennial in a striking red, white, and blue paint job. A rare snowfall is c...

New top story from Time: TWICE Delivers Uplifting Performance of ‘DEPEND ON YOU’ at TIME100 Talks

https://ift.tt/3a8KgF0 TWICE delivered a special performance at the TIME100 Talks Friday. For the first time, the South Korean group performed the track “DEPEND ON YOU” from its latest album, Eyes Wide Open . As the coronavirus pandemic continues, members Jihyo, Nayeon, Momo, Sana, Mina, Dahyun, Chaeyoung and Tzuyu offered fans a message of solidarity and gratitude (vocalist Jeongyeon is on hiatus due to health reasons). “ Currently, we are sad to say that we are also aware that all of us are suffering in this situation,” Sana said. “We appreciate all people who are doing their best to return us to our normal lives and to bring back brighter days,” Nayeon continued. “TWICE will diligently keep on carrying out our duty to bring positive energy into the world,” Mina said. In line with these words, the group sang “DEPEND ON YOU”—a breezy, mellow track about steady hands that offer strength and support in the midst of darkness. “DEPEND ON YOU” first appeared on Eyes ...

FOX NEWS: What is TikTok's 'Check Your Privilege' challenge?

What is TikTok's 'Check Your Privilege' challenge? Activists are calling for awareness and change following the death of George Floyd. via FOX NEWS https://ift.tt/3crYd00

New top story from Time: Japan’s Pandemic-Hit Economy Shrinks at Record Rate

https://ift.tt/2PVEI7d (TOKYO) — Japan’s economy shrank at annual rate of 27.8% in April-June, the worst contraction on record, as the coronavirus pandemic slammed consumption and trade, according to government data released Monday. The Cabinet Office reported that Japan’s preliminary seasonally adjusted real gross domestic product, or GDP, the sum of a nation’s goods and services, fell 7.8% quarter on quarter. The annual rate shows what the number would have been if continued for a year. Japanese media reported the latest drop was the worst since World War II. But the Cabinet Office said comparable records began in 1980. The previous worst contraction was during the global financial crisis of 2008-2009. The world’s third largest economy was already ailing when the virus outbreak struck late last year. The fallout has since gradually worsened both in COVID-19 cases and social distancing restrictions. The economy shrank 0.6% in the January-March period, and contracted 1...

Shared Spaces are Here to Stay. Permit Renewals are Due January 15, 2023.

Shared Spaces are Here to Stay. Permit Renewals are Due January 15, 2023. By Anne Yalon Shared Spaces, amongst many other benefits, allows our residents and families to enjoy safe and social outdoor dining. Seen here are the the owners of Tio Chilo’s Grill and their children in the restaurant’s parklet on 24th Street in the Mission. San Francisco’s popular Shared Spaces program allows merchants, restaurants and arts and culture organizations to use the curbside, sidewalk and other public spaces to conduct local business activities and stay afloat. What emerged as an economic lifeline during the pandemic is making San Francisco’s streets more energized, engaged and activated. Many of the Shared Spaces parklets have become central gathering places for the local community. “ Our parklet makes me feel like when I go to Mexico, where outdoor seating is everywhere. People end up joining their friends in our parklet. It is a space for our customers and our community," said Liz V...

New top story from Time: ‘This Means a Lot.’ After Their City Was Battered by Coronavirus, Wuhan’s Soccer Fans Find Redemption

https://ift.tt/3mWpQDA They came bearing orange banners, scarves and crates of Tsingtao beer: 4,000 diehard soccer fans swarmed Wuhan Railway station on Nov. 22 looking for train G1718 to Suzhou—and a helping hand from the Fates. Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province in central China, is globally infamous as the place where the coronavirus was first detected last December—a discovery that prompted the unprecedented, 76-day, enforced quarantine of its 11 million inhabitants. But before the pandemic, this city straddling the Yangtze River was famed for several prestigious universities as well as some of China’s most boisterous soccer fanatics. After lockdown measures were lifted, those fans came out in force to support the Wuhan Zall soccer team as the club sought to avoid relegation from China’s apex Super League. To do that, Wuhan Zall needed to beat rivals Zhejiang Greentown in the Olympic Stadium at Suzhou, a comparable sized city about 600 kilometers away in Jiangsu provi...

The Future of Slow Streets

The Future of Slow Streets By Eillie Anzilotti Over the past two years, Slow Streets have shown how simple designs that prioritize people can transform streets. Suddenly, streets across San Francisco filled with the sounds of kids playing and neighbors chatting. They filled with people on bicycles and people rolling in wheelchairs; with joggers and dog-walkers. The streets came to life. Initially, the SFMTA introduced Slow Streets as an emergency response to COVID-19. People needed space for recreating at a safe distance outdoors. And with Muni service reduced or suspended at the time, people needed ways to travel to essential destinations on foot or bike. To quickly meet these early pandemic needs, we implemented Slow Streets with simple signs and barricades. Over time, it became clear that Slow Streets served an even larger purpose. They became places for communities to come together. Neighbors organized events like scavenger hunts and Trick or Treat parties around their local Sl...

New top story from Time: Trump Touts Relationship With North Korea After Missile News

https://ift.tt/2Htz6QF Less than two weeks after North Korea showed off a new intercontinental ballistic missiles in a military parade, President Donald Trump touted how his Administration has handled the relations with the nation. “North Korea? We’re not in a war,” Trump said during Thursday’s presidential debate. “We have a good relationship. People don’t understand—having a good relationship with leaders of other countries is a good thing.” That relationship has been accompanied by a number of strategic setbacks for the U.S., and for stability in East Asia. Under Trump, North Korea has relentlessly pursued its military goal of being able to unleash a nuclear strike on the U.S. and its allies. Pyongyang is now believed to have a dozen or more nuclear warheads and an arsenal of several hundred short- and medium-range ballistic missiles capable of hitting South Korea, Japan, and with U.S. military bases and territories in the region. North Korea also has developed long-...

Central Subway Update – Projected to be Open for Service by the End of 2021

Central Subway Update – Projected to be Open for Service by the End of 2021 By A worker pauses on one of the massive escalators leading down to Rose Pak Chinatown Station's future lobby and fare gate area. The Central Subway project remains a key priority for the SFMTA, even during the current health crisis. Workers from the contractor and project staff continue to work every day while taking precautions and following best practices for physical distancing. Important progress was made over the last few months, but there were also challenges resulting in revisions to our target dates for the completion of construction. Heavy construction on stations was scheduled to finish this Summer, but now will continue into the Fall and finish by the end of the year. The date for revenue service when we can welcome our first customers is now the end of 2021. The opening of the subway will follow an extensive testing period because our number one goal is to open a service that is reliable ...

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