Thursday’s Headlines
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 … Continued
By
Blake Aued
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)
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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