Wednesday’s Headlines

SB Donation NYC header 2Streetsblog’s annual December donation drive is ongoing. Take all that money you’re saving by not making car payments or paying for gas or insurance and give it us (please!) so we can continue to give you the day’s top headlines, great stories, op-eds and more.

For now, though, the news:

  • Coloradans probably doomed themselves to a future of more traffic congestion when they rejected two referendums to fund road improvements and mass transit. Even with progressives now controlling the state government, there’s little appetite to shift funds away from health care or education to infrastructure, and voters made it clear they’re not interested in raising taxes or going into debt. (Watchdog)
  • But least one minor project in Colorado is moving forward: The Denver Regional Council has approved funding for three bus lanes between Boulder and Longmont. (Daily Camera)
  • Senate Republicans are making a push during this month’s lame-duck session to ease restrictions on self-driving cars. (The Verge) While that’s a bad idea, the bill would also require the feds to collect crash data — which is something autonomous vehicle companies ought to be sharing already, says Tech Crunch.
  • Consider us still skeptical, but Curbed is sold on Sidewalk Labs’ plan for Quayside, its “smart neighborhood” in Toronto, praising its walkability, transit access, affordable housing and sustainability — even its commitment to data protection, which is a concern given that Sidewalk Labs is owned by Google’s parent company, Alphabet.
  • The Federal Transit Administration has signed off on Milwaukee’s first bus rapid transit line, part of a wave of grants that have finally crashed. (Daily Reporter)
  • The Twin Cities’ Metropolitan Council is accepting public comment on a proposed Seventh Avenue streetcar in St. Paul. (Pioneer Press)
  • Conservative billionaires Charles and David Koch are launching an ad campaign at gas stations in an effort to squelch a gas-tax hike in Louisiana. (WBRZ)
  • The company that contracts with Cincinnati Metro to provide transit service for the disabled agreed to a new contract that will pay employees up to $22 an hour. (Enquirer)
  • New York City set a minimum wage for Uber and Lyft drivers at $17.22 per hour on Tuesday. (amNY)
  • Will Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkin side with cars or people on 35th Avenue? (The Stranger)

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  • Riley Warton

    I don’t believe Coloradans understand that you need money to solve traffic. We complain about the traffic then do nothing about it. I don’t think we actually care about transportation at all. John Caldara thought that 109 defeated 110, but 110 was dead to begin with. Coloradans continuously say no to transportation, and we will continue to say no until things reach a breaking point.