Today’s Headlines
Tuesday’s Headlines
Uber added several safety features to its app in the wake of a Washington Post investigation that found the company is more concerned with protecting itself than drivers or passengers. (Gizmodo) A top congressional Republican says the GOP is no longer interested in an infrastructure bill, although a highway spending reauthorization bill remains in play. … Continued
October 1, 2019
Monday’s Headlines
Uber CEO Dana Khosrowshahi tells The Verge about his plans to become the “Amazon of transportation” and control the way people move around cities, from adding transit stops and subway tickets to the app to bikes and scooters to delivery service. John Forester, who helped pioneer the biking-as-transportation movement in the 1970s, talks about his … Continued
September 30, 2019
Friday’s Headlines
Curbed is keeping tabs on the Democratic presidential candidates’ transportation policies — what little most of them have. Uber’s internal investigators protect the company first, and don’t even turn over evidence of felonies to law enforcement. (Washington Post) New software will help cities manage all the data streaming in from micromobility services. (Fast Company) In … Continued
September 27, 2019
Thursday’s Headlines
The D.C.-to-Boston corridor, Seattle and Portland are the easiest places to live car-free, while going without a car is hardest in most of the Southeast and Midwest, according to a formula created by urban planner Richard Florida. (City Lab) Apocalyptic environmentalist James Howard Kunstler talks to Strong Towns about how green energy, alternative fuels and … Continued
September 26, 2019
Wednesday’s Headlines
The EPA is threatening to withhold federal highway funds from California unless the state addresses a backlog of pollution reduction plans. Yes, this is the same Trump Administration that just took away California’s ability to set stricter emissions standards for cars and trucks. (New York Times) Electric cars will help, but we’re all going to … Continued
September 25, 2019
Tuesday’s Headlines
Greta Thunberg, the 16-year-old Swedish climate activist, torched international leaders for not acting to halt climate change in a speech at the UN Monday (CNN). In related news, Streetsblog NYC torched Mayor Bill de Blasio for refusing (again) to give up his car for even a day. And in Washington, D.C., more than 30 climate … Continued
September 24, 2019
Monday’s Headlines
Every politician should be required to work car-free one day a week, suggests Curbed architecture critic Alexandra Lange in Politico Magazine. Amtrak has new menus and a new boarding system, the Washington Post reports. A Toronto study found that replacing parking with on-street bike lanes didn’t hurt and may have helped retailers. (American Planning Association) … Continued
September 23, 2019
Friday’s Headlines
California Gov. Gavin Newsom officially signed a new law granting labor rights to Uber and Lyft drivers (HuffPost). Having to actually pay drivers a fair wage could threaten the ride-sharing giants’ existence. So could, Jalopnik points out, a lawsuit against surge pricing. People have always been willing to commute to work half an hour each … Continued
September 20, 2019
Thursday’s Headlines
President Trump — via tweet, of course — announced he’s revoking California’s ability to restrict pollution from cars and trucks. His administration had already rolled back President Obama’s stricter federal rules, but automakers had agreed to abide by California’s standards nationwide (Washington Post). Streetsblog’s Aaron Short showed why that’s bad. When the public wants safer … Continued
September 19, 2019
Wednesday’s Headlines
The National Association of City Transportation Officials has issued new guidelines on how cities should handle e-scooters. (Smart Cities Dive) A bipartisan team of two congressmen wants to phase out the gas tax and refill the federal highway trust fund with money from a tax on oil and gas producers. (The Hill) States are overtaxing … Continued
September 18, 2019