Thursday’s Headlines
- Maryland Transit Administration spending is set to drop by over half over the next six years. Officials attribute the decline to a budget that’s front-loaded with capital projects, but after years of disinvestment, transit advocates worry that MTA won’t be able to meet its needs with spending that’s at a 15-year low in 2023 and ’24. (Baltimore Sun)
- A 1-percent sales tax coming before Broward County, Fla. voters Tuesday would help pay for hundreds of new buses, routes and shelters, as well as perhaps light rail, eventually. If approved, it would raise $15 billion for transportation over 30 years. (NBC Miami)
- While sales tax hikes for transportation and schools on the Hillsborough County, Fla. ballot aren’t likely to hurt local businesses, the NAACP is worried that the regressive tax will hit low-income consumers harder. Supporters say it’s the only way to raise much-needed money for road and transit improvements. (Tampa Bay Times)
- This video from the Guardian explains how parking is a waste of space, why drivers should pay more for the congestion and environmental damage it causes, and what cities could be doing with that valuable property instead of putting cars there. (YouTube)
- Let's Go LA takes a deep dive into how to improve Metrolink.
- A driver fleeing a hit-and-run crash ran over and killed a homeless woman lying on a Philadelphia sidewalk, then ran away. (Penn Live) A similar situation happened in Aurora, Colo., where a driver jumped the curb, struck and killed a woman lying on the sidewalk and drove off. (Denver 7)
- The Philadelphia Inquirer and San Francisco Chronicle report that Democrats are looking for an early win on infrastructure if they win control of the House.
- Those “free” rides to the polls Nov. 6 Uber and Lyft are offering may not actually be free. (The Source) However, Lyft-owned bike shares in Washington, D.C., San Francisco, New York City, Chicago and Portland are offering free rides. (DCist)
- As Mexico City shows, you don't have to be rich to rule the transit world. Sure, there's no fancy tech, but why bother checking an arrival-time app when the train comes every two minutes, anyway? (Mobility Lab)
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