Thursday’s Headlines
- Drivers have killed more Americans since 2000 than died during the two world wars. From 2006–2012, drivers killed twice as many Americans as opioids. Where is the outrage? (Washington Post)
- Democratic presidential candidates are criticizing Uber and Lyft’s labor practices — but that hasn’t stopped them from using ride-hailing services. (Quartz)
- Los Angeles’s Sepulveda Pass elevated and subway line is now projected to cost up to $14 billion, leaving a shortfall of up to $8 billion. Apparently it would overwhelm the planned Van Nuys light rail line and must be expanded (L.A. Times). In related news, a new Government Accountability Office report says the Federal Transit Administration can do a better job helping state and local governments estimate and control costs.
- When the environmental damage from burning fossil fuels is taken into account, gas taxes are ludicrously low — so low that drivers of electric cars, who pay no gas taxes, might be entitled to a tax credit, even though they also use roads and contribute to congestion (City Lab). California, Washington and Illinois are among the states mulling a mileage tax to capture EV revenue, and North Carolina has formed a commission to look at the issue (Raleigh News & Observer)
- Americans’ insistence on driving to work alone is causing traffic congestion and hurting the environment and our health, says a Harvard researcher who focuses on Atlanta’s strategies for car-free living. (Data-Smart City Solutions)
- Los Angeles transit officials think all-door boarding and more bus-only lanes could reverse a decline in ridership. Key votes are scheduled for today. (Curbed)
- Seattle is mulling Dutch-style protected intersections that are safer for cyclists than bike boxes. (Seattle Times)
- Why is Denver’s bike lane system so patchy? Cyclists are frustrated they can’t use the car-free 16th Street Mall, but the Federal Transit Administration says there are too many cars and buses on weekdays. (Denver Post)
- Indianapolis’ Red Line bus rapid transit is scheduled to open September 1, and will be free for the first month. (RTV6)
- Uber and Lyft siphon off $20 million from Boston transit, according to a new study. (Boston Magazine)
- Disney World is finally finishing a sidewalk it started all the way back in 1994. (Orlando Weekly)
- An environmental group has hired a company to fish out the more than 100 rental bikes thrown into London canals each year. (Guardian)
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