Thursday’s Headlines
- In the end, the Phoenix City Council ignored the naysayers (including the Koch Brothers) and voted to move forward with a two-lane configuration for four-lane Central Avenue as part of a light rail extension that grew contentious. (Arizona Republic)
- Despite an expected revenue “plateau,” Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkin is proposing increasing transit funding by $130 million in the 2018-2019 budget. (My Northwest)
- File under: At least that’s fewer cars on the road. Last year, for the first time, telecommuting overtook public transit as the second-most popular way of getting to work, behind driving. It’s easier than ever to work from home, and more people either own cars or have access to cars through ride-hailing services, so fewer are taking transit. (Governing)
- American transit is mostly terrible because Americans have no idea how transit is supposed to work. When we’re not viewing transit as something for people who are too poor to own a car, we want trains that go everywhere instead of high frequency. (Vox)
- Memphis is planning two dedicated bus lanes between downtown and the University of Memphis. (Biz Journal, Flyer)
- Pittsburgh is installing bike lanes on Smallman Street after citizens complained that the design lacked them. (WESA)
- San Francisco voters will decide next year whether to tax ride-hailing apps to fund bike lanes and transit — with Uber and Lyft’s support. (Bloomberg)
- D.C. cyclists are planning a first-ever “ghost scooter memorial” for a Lime rider killed by a driver on Dupont Circle Friday. (DCist)
- As Austin’s population ages, officials are expecting a “silver tsunami” of dead pedestrians. Solutions might include better lighting and more time to make it across crosswalks. (American-Statesman)
- Uber and Lyft drivers only earn half as much as they did five years ago, according to a JPMorgan study. That could be because there are more drivers competing with each other or fewer are driving full-time. (NY Post, Marketwatch)
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