Friday’s Headlines Are Crazy About Wildlife

• How did the red wolf cross the road? With the help of a $25-million federal grant North Carolina received to build wildlife crossings, since car collisions are the species’ leading cause of death (Washington Post). It’s part of a $125-million effort that also helps Florida panthers, Maine moose and human beings (Forbes).
• Republicans generally oppose high-speed rail as “wasteful spending” in the abstract, but some Democratic supporters hope enough of them will change their minds if the routes run through red districts. (Roll Call)
• Road Bike Rider weighs in on the debate over taking the lane.
• Would automated traffic enforcement cameras help tame Massachusetts’s notoriously impatient drivers? (Boston Globe)
• Pittsburgh Regional Transit is investigating a ransomware attack that slowed down rail service. (Union Progress)
• The Seattle area’s Federal Way light rail extension is 94 percent complete, but it won’t open until 2026, and service to Tacoma won’t start until 2035. (News Tribune)
• Now that Washington state voters rejected a repeal of the state’s carbon tax, the Tri-Cities’ transit agency is looking at lowering fares to encourage already-rising ridership. (Herald)
• Lower Metro Transit fares in the Twin Cities kick in on Jan. 1. (Minnesota Daily)
• One of Tampa’s most popular bus routes will go fare-free in 2025. (That’s So Tampa)
• Sarasota is floating a Complete Streets makeover for Main Street. (Herald-Tribune)
• Many University of Kansas students rely on city buses, but they’re inconvenienced by Lawrence’s long headways. (Daily Kansan)
• Kalamazoo is seeking public input on a Safe Streets for All plan. (MLive)
• Former Florida congressman and former Trump attorney general nominee Matt Gaetz is an accused sex trafficker, but what really set him off was being called an “Uber driver” on Saturday Night Live. (OK!)

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