Today’s Headlines
- Government spending on transportation is at a 70-year low -- just 1.4 percent of GDP. That's too low, Bloomberg says, although it will probably never reach the all-time high of 5 percent again.
- Seattle officials are betting $300 million that transit riders will use a new bus rapid transit stop on I-405. That cost is a bit misleading, though, since it also includes rebuilding the interchange to incorporate transit and bike paths. (Seattle Times)
- Seattle has given free ORCA passes to most of its high-school students, allowing them to ride King County Metro buses and Link trains for free. (KING)
- DC, Maryland, and Virginia’s newly reformed Metro Safety Commission is close to taking back oversight of the rail system from the Federal Transit Administration after a series of safety failures in 2015. (WTOP)
- After six years and 6,000 public comments, the end is in sight for Central City in Motion, Portland’s ambitious plan to transform dozens of streets so they safely and efficiently move people, not just vehicles. Citizens are now being asked to prioritize $72 million worth of projects. (Bike Portland)
- Officials in DeKalb County -- one of three metro Atlanta counties served by MARTA -- are worried that the transit agency will ignore their needs once it expands into suburban Gwinnett County. (AJC)
- The city of College Park, just south of Atlanta, is considering a new zoning district that would allow higher density around MARTA stations in an effort to reduce dependence on cars. (Curbed)
- Columbia, SC, police are ticketing jaywalkers, and the fine is a whopping $232 -- three times as much as a speeding ticket. (WYFF)
- After a year as Uber's CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi still faces challenges: competition from Lyft, bad PR from driverless technology, driver rebellion over pay and accusations of racial discrimination, to name a few. (Wired)
- Parts of London are banning polluting gas- and diesel-powered vehicles in an effort to “reclaim the streets.” (The Guardian)
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