Today’s Headlines
Monday’s Headlines
It lives! President Trump’s zombie infrastructure bill has been reanimated once again. (WaPo) But the real kickstart for infrastructure, according to Curbed, could be Sen. Ed Markey and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Green New Deal, though it’s only a resolution for now, as Streetsblog reported. With a federal deadline fast approaching, supporters of a Research Triangle … Continued
February 11, 2019
Friday’s Headlines
The global explosion of shared bikes and scooters since 2017 is just the tip of the iceberg — the industry could be worth $300 billion by 2030. But one thing Silicon Valley hasn’t considered much is safety. (City Lab) Speaking of which, Memphis’s public Explore Bike Share is adding 300 bikes and 50 new stations, thanks … Continued
February 8, 2019
Thursday’s Headlines
Omaha is the latest city that will have to decide if a streetcar is a frivolous amenity or an important transportation tool. Backers point to the success of Kansas City’s streetcar, while others fret about gentrification and whether it will serve minority communities. (Next City) Vancouver is also studying potential routes for a future downtown streetcar. … Continued
February 7, 2019
Wednesday’s Headlines
Vancouver has seen an increasing in biking, walking, car-shares and transit ridership since banning Uber and Lyft, even as fewer people are using transit in most cities. Still, many residents and the tourism industry are clamoring for ride-hailing. Will it augment the transit network or compete with it? (Slate) Electric scooters seem to have outpaced … Continued
February 6, 2019
Tuesday’s Headlines
President Trump will once again ask Congress to pass an infrastructure package in tonight’s State of the Union address. (USA Today) The price tag for fixing the nation’s infrastructure, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers, is $2 trillion — although that group’s credibility was hurt by its executive director saying nice things about Elon … Continued
February 5, 2019
Monday’s Headlines
Congestion pricing is sometimes considered regressive, but it can actually create equity in transportation by generating revenue for transit and allowing buses and carpoolers to move faster. (Curbed) Unfortunately, a rumor that L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti would endorse the idea Sunday turned out to be false. (He still may, someday!) Uber is adding city buses … Continued
February 4, 2019
Friday’s Headlines
The portion of the Federal Highway Trust Fund devoted to public transit is expected to run dry in 2021 — forcing a 30-percent spending cut — as increased fuel efficiency and construction costs cut into gas tax revenue. That could be a disaster, or an opportunity to put a better funding mechanism, like a Green … Continued
February 1, 2019
Thursday’s Headlines
Riding the bus will make you healthier. A new study found a correlation between mass transit ridership and lower obesity rates. Just walking to and from the bus stop is more exercise than driving, explained the study’s co-author. (Science Daily) The Texas DOT — apparently stuck in the 1950s — wants to widen I-30 through … Continued
January 31, 2019
Wednesday’s Headlines
Washington state legislators are taking up bills to cap the car-tab fee that helps fund Sound Transit and a $16-billion infrastructure plan. (Seattle Times) Creepy or useful? Google’s Sidewalk Labs is using our cellphones to track us on sidewalks, and packaging and selling the data to urban planners to help them make transportation and land-use … Continued
January 30, 2019
Tuesday’s Headlines
City Lab has two recent stories about the drawbacks of ride-hailing: Another study — this one with newer data than previous studies — blames public transit’s declining ridership on Uber and Lyft. And Uber’s new rewards program gives users an incentive to ride solo, worsening congestion even further. Whether dockless e-scooters stick around or not, … Continued
January 29, 2019