Today’s Headlines

This is our last headlines roundup before our annual Christmas break, so let's take a moment to take stock of all the things we want in our stocking this year:

"Are e-scooters a flash in the pan?" Mobility Lab asks. Probably not. There are some kinks to work out, but they have great potential to get people out of cars for short trips.

Equity is a big issue in transportation these days. E-scooters are following in the footsteps of taxis, ride hailing and bike shares by leaving the poor behind. In D.C., they’re concentrated in affluent downtown, Georgetown and Dupont Circle, and none is available in the low-income wards east of the Anacostia River. (Washington Post) Citi Bike is offering $5 monthly memberships — a $9 discount — to Jersey City residents who are on food stamps. But most of the bike-share’s stations are located in affluent parts of town. (NJ.com) In Missoula, Mont., homeowners were shocked earlier this month when the city hit them with four- or five-figure bills for sidewalk construction. The Missoulian has a much more logical plan for prioritizing and paying for new sidewalks that doesn’t involve making housing more unaffordable.

Streetcar edition: Rock Region Metro is making Little Rock’s streetcar free in an effort to boost ridership (Democrat-Gazette). The feds turned down Milwaukee’s request for $20 million to expand its new streetcar, The Hop, for the second time (Journal Sentinel). And the Oklahoman explains how Oklahoma City’s new streetcar, which opens Friday, fits into the broader transit picture.

Start your week off right by listening to our Streetsblog NYC colleagues singing anti-car Christmas carols at the city's mayoral residence, Gracie Mansion. Four numbers, including "Biking Wonderland" and "Andrew the Two-Faced Guv'nor," are included in this video featurette.

Reindeer collisions are up at the North Pole due to a lack of sleigh lanes, and Santa is in danger of being replaced by a computer. Please help Streetsblog investigate these and other stories by contributing to our annual December donation drive.

In 2018, cities finally got serious about parking reform, with San Francisco and Minneapolis joining Buffalo, N.Y., and Hartford, Conn., in striking down bans on car-free housing, according to Sightline. Please help Streetsblog lead the way by contributing to our annual December donation drive.

Digital Trends recently declared 2018 the Year of the E-Scooter. Let's make 2019 the Year of Streetsblog — the website for all of your transportation news needs, whatever your mode of choice (as long as it's not a car). Please contribute to our annual December donation drive.

Streetsblog would like to spend another year performing feats of writing and reporting strength and airing your transportation grievances. Please contribute to our annual December donation drive. We'd consider it to be a Festivus miracle.