Today’s Headlines

U.S. DOT Kicks Off Teen Traffic Safety Week
Seniors Should Consider Transportation Options When Planning Retirement (NYT)
Texas Republicans Want Welfare for Their Roads (WSJ)
Work Begins on Freeing Bertha, the Tunnel Borer Stuck Under Seattle (PI)
Citing Safety, New Jersey Cities Beg to Keep Red Light Cameras (NJ.com)
Portland Needs to Maintain Protected Space for Bicyclists During Road Work (Bike Portland)
Transit Union Rebels Against MARTA’s Plans to Privatize Atlanta Paratransit (Creative Loafing)
These Eight Victims of New York City Traffic Violence Will Be Commemorated (NY Mag)
How to Build an Intersection for Pedestrians: Six Options (Next City)
Go Ahead and Panic, But For God’s Sakes, Not About Ebola (Sightline)

portland

In Portland it’s not just bikes. The building boom has sidewalks all over the city closed, and yet the adjacent parking lane is all too often left untouched. At least for projects that go on for months they should kill the parking and put in some jersey barriers to maintain pedestrian access. It’s ridiculous, they maintain often empty parking spots next to a big hole in the ground. For short projects it’s more tolerable to lose the sidewalk, so the added expense and complication of trucking in jersey barriers probably isn’t justified. But for months or longer? Portland isn’t the urban paradise it’s often made out to be.