- 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)
Today's Headlines
Today’s Headlines
By Blake Aued
Stay in touch
Sign up for our free newsletter
More from Streetsblog USA
Friday’s Headlines Walk Five Hundred Miles
Or at least, sometimes it seems like the other side of the street is that far away. And wider streets are more dangerous for pedestrians, Smart Cities Dive reports.
October 25, 2024
Opinion: Who Does Passenger Rail Serve?
"In short, passenger rail serves everyone – even the people who don’t meet the profit margins of airlines and car manufacturers."
October 25, 2024
Talking Headways Podcast: Urgency and Vision Zero
Vision Zero Network founder Leah Shahum on why it’s so hard to make change, the implicit biases around designing for cars and World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, coming up on Nov. 17.
October 24, 2024
Cycle of Rage: To NY Gov., Saving Lives is Important, But Not if It’s Too Expensive to Suburban Drivers
Gov. Hochul signed into law an expansion on New York City red light cameras on Wednesday, saying that she didn’t want to waste “any more time” before improving road safety — but when it comes to the safety benefits of congestion pricing that she once championed, she said they come at too high of a cost to drivers.
Why America Has So Much Road Safety Research, But So Little Actual Safety
Why does all this research not translating into solid guidance that actually saves lives?
October 24, 2024
