Friday’s Headlines
According to the latest Census figures, the number of Americans who bike to work fell by 3 percent from 2016 to 2017. Experts blamed a lack of safe and connected bike infrastructure, although your mileage may vary depending on where you live: Some cities, like Portland, Ore., and Washington, D.C., saw an increase in bike … Continued
By
Blake Aued
12:00 AM EST on January 4, 2019
- According to the latest Census figures, the number of Americans who bike to work fell by 3 percent from 2016 to 2017. Experts blamed a lack of safe and connected bike infrastructure, although your mileage may vary depending on where you live: Some cities, like Portland, Ore., and Washington, D.C., saw an increase in bike commuting. Others, including Seattle and San Francisco, saw it tumble. (USA Today)
- Bike-shares are suffering from a persistent perception that they don’t serve low-income neighborhoods. (Smart Cities Dive)
- New York’s plan to shut down a critical subway line for 15 months starting in April was just jettisoned by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, despite three years of planning for this vital infrastructure fix. (StreetsblogNYC)
- Phoenix businesses have been whining for some time that light rail expansion will, um, drive away customers, but here’s a reminder that transit equals jobs: A construction contractors’ group has filed a lawsuit seeking to stop rail opponents from putting a repeal of future projects on the ballot. (Arizona Republic)
- The average Atlanta worker will spend 484 days and $183,000 commuting in a car over his or her career — the most of any American city. (AJC)
- Uber drivers in Massachusetts have joined their counterparts in California, London and elsewhere in filing a lawsuit alleging the company is skirting federal minimum-wage and overtime rules. (Boston Herald)
- The supermarket chain Kroger — not Uber, Lyft or Tesla — might be the first company to put autonomous vehicles on the road. (Forbes)
- Boston’s transit agency is bringing back a popular $10 all-you-can-ride weekend fare. (Globe)
- Buffalo officials have bowed to backlash (parklash?) over the removal of free parking on nights and weekends. (News)
- Drivers keep parking in San Diego’s new bike lanes. (KPBS)
- More cities will go car-free, plus 18 other experts’ predictions for the next 15 years. (Next City)
Blake Aued has been doing Streetsblog's daily national news digest for years. He's also an Atlanta Braves fan, which enrages his editor in New York.
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