Wednesday’s Headlines

12:01 AM EDT on July 10, 2019

Shaped by Big Oil, auto barons, segregation, mortgage lenders and suburbanites, the American legal system has made car ownership a virtual necessity. Not only that — traffic laws prioritize the safety of car occupants, criminal penalties are less for those who kill with cars, and courts make it difficult to sue those drivers. (The Atlantic)
Peak SUV is almost here, according to a story behind the Wall Street Journal’s paywall and summarized by the free site Jalopnik.
Also behind the WSJ paywall: A former airline CEO has almost eliminated Amtrak's operating losses, but not all riders are happy about it.
Insurance companies will no longer cover ride-hailing companies against sexual assault claims because high payouts to victims have made it too risky. (D Magazine)
Seattle Times readers want to know why it takes so long — sometimes up to 20 years or more — to build a light rail line. More funding and streamlined planning could speed up the process.
A Phoenix referendum on halting light-rail construction is coming up in about six weeks, but campaigning on both sides has been low-key so far. (Arizona Republic)
A new rail line is already bringing a renaissance to four Connecticut town, even before the stations are built. (Hartford Courant)
Cincinnati just launched its Vision Zero program but is already seeing a small reduction in crashes involving pedestrians versus 2018. (WCPO)
A former top Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority official alleges he was fired after blowing the whistle on safety issues. (Boston Globe)
Bike and pedestrian improvements will probably wind up on the chopping block as Marin County, Calif. starts work on three major thoroughfares. (Independent Journal)
Shuttles that resemble golf carts are popping up in Oklahoma City, and officials are trying to figure out how they fit in with buses, the streetcar, e-scooters and bike-sharing. (Journal Record)
Apple is trolling Google with a billboard touting iPhone privacy next to Alphabet subsidiary Sidewalk Labs’ data-thirsty “smart neighborhood” in Toronto. (Business Insider)

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