Friday’s Headlines

By Blake Aued

12:01 AM EDT on October 4, 2019

Black and gay passengers, and even people perceived to be LGBTQ supporters, are more likely to have their taxi driver cancel on them, according to a new study. (NBC News)
Public pensions are investing in Uber, which means taxpayers might wind up bailing out the money-losing company. (Quartz)
Traffic congestion is becoming a crisis in Texas, and voters in both Houston and Austin seem poised to approve billions of dollars in transit funding. Dallas, San Antonio and the state government, though, are lagging behind (Texas Tribune). Meanwhile, the Big D, which has the fifth deadliest roads in the country, is looking at implementing Vision Zero, following Austin and San Antonio’s lead. (D Magazine)
Even people in the parking business think Philadelphia has too much parking, and they want to develop their surface lots. Philly should follow other cities’ lead by getting rid of minimum parking requirements in neighborhoods with access to transit, but one city council bill actually requires more parking. (Citizen)
The Georgia DOT is seeking public comment as it updates the statewide transportation plan, including not only roads but transit, walking and biking trails, and other modes. The current plan calls for spending just 10 percent of the state’s $65-billion transport budget on transit, walking and biking projects. (Saporta Report)
San Francisco’s Muni is tackling environmental justice with “green zones” — neighborhoods with high concentrations of poverty where hybrid buses turn off their diesel engines and switch to battery power. (Chronicle)
The Lowell Sun suggests raising Massachusetts’ gas tax to upgrade commuter rail.
A Milwaukee streetcar extension has been pushed back to 2020. (Urban Milwaukee)
Hundreds of Kansas City students walked to school yesterday to support safe routes to their classrooms. (Fox 4)
MinnPost answers more reader questions about Twin Cities transportation, including ones about bus-only lanes, the Nicollet Avenue streetcar and traffic lights that prioritize pedestrians.
This is how you do it, America: Seven Chinese cities cut the ribbon on new passenger rail lines last week. (International Railway Journal)
Everyone knows that commuting by car in L.A. is the worst. But just how bad is it? LAist asked drivers to share their horror stories, and they’re even worse than you’d imagine.

Blake Aued

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