Thursday’s Headlines

8:44 AM EDT on May 9, 2019

Because Uber and Lyft drivers are contractors rather than employees, their strike Wednesday was really more of a boycott (Jalopnik) aimed at hijacking the PR narrative surrounding their initial public stock offerings (The Verge). USA Today says it was kind of a bust, while New York magazine reported that Democratic politicians are starting to take up the drivers' cause.
The Ringer kicks off a series on the ride-hailing companies with a piece about about drivers sexually harassing passengers.
Thanks to pressure from Boston cyclists, Lyft is urging users to adopt the “Dutch reach,” a way of opening passenger-side doors that forces them to check for oncoming bikes. (Globe)
While Mayor Bill de Blasio's SUV habit — and lackluster efforts to improve pedestrian safety — is much derided in NYC, City Lab argues that car-loving voters in the rest of the country won't care when he runs for president.
The Charleston Post and Courier delves deep into the skyrocketing road death toll in South Carolina, where drivers have killed 900 pedestrians and cyclists in the past six years.
Philadelphia’s city-run Indego bike-share is adding 12 stations and 400 e-bikes. (Curbed)
Homebuilders say the California and New York transplants flooding into Dallas want huge houses with huge yards and huge five-car garages — none of which is good for transit. (D Magazine)
Owners of hybrid and electric vehicles say fees included in Ohio’s gas-tax hike are hitting them harder than owners of gas-powered vehicles, discouraging people from embracing more efficient technologies. (Cleveland Plain Dealer)
The private company that runs Milwaukee’s streetcar have agreed to let employees join the local transit workers’ union. (Journal Sentinel)
Who wants to buy a MAGA bond? (The Hill)

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