Today’s Headlines
Monday’s Headlines
City Lab maps out where traffic pollution is most likely to give children asthma: Spoiler alert: the Northeast, the Great Lakes region and Southern California. Asthma attacks are one reason why a Guardian columnist says cars are killing us, and we have to phase them out within 10 years. But there are also plenty of … Continued
April 21, 2019
Friday’s Headlines
America is falling back in love with streetcars, but is it nostalgia? Mobility Lab points out that what people really want is frequent, reliable and cheap transit service, whether it’s on tracks or tires. Streetcars once provided that, but there was a reason cities ditched them for buses in the first place. “Portable benefits” like … Continued
April 19, 2019
Thursday’s Headlines
Grist has a must-read story about how I-980 destroyed the black neighborhood of West Oakland and why the city now wants to replace it with parks and affordable housing. Though it’s not so simple as that! Turns out, paint is not a force field (as Streetsblog previously reported). Australian researchers discovered that drivers pass cyclists … Continued
April 18, 2019
Wednesday’s Headlines
Even in car-happy California, people looking for housing in Los Angeles increasingly want to live near transit — which is reflected in real estate listings that emphasize proximity to Metrolink rail and subway stops. (Housing Wire) Younger Republicans are breaking with President Trump over climate change. Most believe that the climate is already changing, and … Continued
April 17, 2019
Tuesday’s Headlines
Traffic fumes cause as many as 4 million cases of asthma a year among kids, according to a new study. Experts hope the study will spur cities to curb air pollution by improving transit, replacing bus fleets and incentivizing electric vehicles. (QZ) More Uber IPO hot takes: Uber spends a big chunk of its IPO … Continued
April 16, 2019
Monday’s Headlines
Uber filed paperwork for its long-awaited initial public stock offering. Despite the company’s claims that it complements transit, the IPO reveals what we’ve suspected all along: It’s competing with public transportation. The goal is to operate at a loss until it achieves dominance, then jack up prices. (Jalopnik) More on the Uber IPO: The company … Continued
April 15, 2019
Friday’s Headlines
All over the country, bike-share companies are pulling out of cities or switching their focus to e-scooters. (Smart Cities Dive) But not everywhere: Vancouver is among the cities where e-bikes are growing in popularity (Sun); Ann Arbor, Michigan, is about to start a program (MLive); and in Houston, bike-share ridership is up 65 percent this … Continued
April 12, 2019
Thursday’s Headlines
Pedestrian deaths are at a 30-year high because drivers are more distracted than ever. Almost half of drivers are “phone addicts” who are more dangerous on the road than drunk drivers. (Fast Company) Self-driving vehicles are a delusion that, in 50 years, will be looked upon as a “futile, antisocial endeavor,” an expert on artificial … Continued
April 11, 2019
Wednesday’s Headlines
A California law that would aim to fix the state’s housing crisis by banning single-family zoning near transit, job centers and schools is getting bashed by suburbanites and low-income city dwellers who fear displacement. But the bill still has stronger support than a previous effort to encourage high-density development around transit. (City Lab) Houston Metro … Continued
April 10, 2019
Tuesday’s Headlines
Highways are dangerous in more ways than one. A new study found that children who live near major roads are twice as likely to experience developmental delays, most likely because of exposure to air pollution. (CNN) In a lengthy Q&A, two TechCrunch reporters dissect what the Lyft IPO means for the future of mobility. And … Continued
April 9, 2019