By Mike Leidemann
Advertiser Transportation Writer

Transportation notes from near and far:

• Remember traffic cameras? They're still around in a lot of places.

A California state audit released this month shows the number of motorists running red lights has dropped 10 percent in seven cities that use the cameras.

The audit warns, though, that cities using the cameras aren't following a state law that regulates them. That leaves the cities and cameras open to legal challenges, much like what happened in Hawai'i earlier this year.

About 15 states and nations in Africa, Asia and Europe use red-light cameras, but the backlash against them is growing. Alaska, Nebraska, New

Jersey, Wisconsin and Utah are among states that have banned them.

With the help of the police department's Community Traffic Awareness Partnership, residents gather with signs at preselected times to spread the word about speeding and the dangers to pedestrians.

Times and locations include:

• Tomorrow, 6:30 a.m. to 7:45 a.m., Makakilo Drive and Anipeahi Street.
• Aug. 27, 6:30 a.m. to 7:45 a.m., Kapolei Park Comfort Station.
• Aug. 28, 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., West Loch Fairs at A'awa Drive.

For more information, call Desoto's office, 547-7009.

• More than any other factor, free or low-cost parking makes traffic in Washington, D.C., among the worst in the nation, the Washington Post reports.

More than 68 percent of Washington area commuters, including thousands of federal workers, can count on free or subsidized parking, giving them incentive to drive instead of taking the bus, Metro or carpool.

"It'd be a very difficult thing to take away. There's a tremendous connection between people and their parking spaces," said Dan Tangherlini, director of the D.C. Department of Transportation.

• Commuters in the San Francisco Bay Area are spending less time stuck in traffic, according to a new study.

The number of hours wasted in traffic fell 12 percent during 2001, the study said. The number of freeway miles where traffic slows to a crawl also fell by 3 percent.

The most likely explanation? Unemployment. Fewer people working means fewer people on the roads.

• The first magazine for SUV drivers only is set to hit newsstands in October.

Lucky Trucker is a meant to be a lifestyle magazine.

Its publisher says it will be a "fusion of man, road and style" and include features on the SUV of the month; SUVs driven by Hollywood celebrities; articles on fitness, relationships and SUV fashion; as well as photos of (clothed) glamorous women.

• Owners of Yamaha, Honda or Suzuki motorcycles are more likely to have their cycling days cut short by thieves than owners of other bikes.

Of the 25 most stolen motorcycles in 2001, eight were Hondas, seven were Suzukis, six were built by Yamaha, three by Kawasaki and just one by Harley-Davidson, according to the study by CCC Information Services Inc.

The single most stolen motorcycle in 2001 was the 2001 Yamaha YZFR6.

• Truck and bus drivers could lose their commercial licenses if they do not drive their family car safely.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration will require states to revoke the commercial licenses of drivers convicted of driving passenger cars under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or those losing their regular license because of traffic violations.

The rules take effect Sept. 30. States have three years to comply or face the loss of federal highway money.

• The federal government wants to know what you think about spending on the nation's highways.

The government has set up a Web site to gather public comment as Congress prepares for a debate on the new Transportation Equity Act, which guides spending on public highways.

Comments can be submitted by going online.

• General Motors is updating its popular OnStar service to determine the severity of a crash within seconds and automatically call for help.

Crash sensors in the front, rear and sides of the vehicle will tell where the vehicle was hit and the speed and force of impact.

Beginning in some vehicles next year, the information will be sent to an OnStar operator through a hands-free cellular phone connection. The operator can talk to crash victims in the vehicle and conference in 911 dispatchers with all the information they need to send emergency help quickly.

• Warning: Going places can be dangerous to your health.

Some 44,461 persons died last year while trying to get from one place to another, according to new statistics released by the National Transportation Safety Board. That's a 0.6 percent increase over the previous year.

The figures include all deaths recorded in highway, aviation, rail and marine accidents. Increases were reported in airline and rail, while highway and marine fatalities declined.

A complete report is available online.

Reach Mike Leidemann at mleidemann@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-5460.