Wednesday’s Headlines
- Distracted drivers killed at least 3,000 people in the U.S. last year, and despite a plethora of laws banning or restricting cell phone use behind the wheel, motorists continue to drive while distracted at an alarming rate. (Bloomberg)
- Cities are on track to meet only a fifth of their 2020 climate goals. (Quartz)
- In Seattle, where drivers have killed nearly twice as many people this year as in 2019, Mayor Jenny Durkin is lowering speed limits on arterial roads to 25 miles per hour. (Seattle Times)
- Despite Vision Zero efforts, Denver traffic deaths jumped from 61 last year to 67 in 2019, with a month left to go. Of those, three were on bikes and 20 were on foot. (9 News)
- Drivers have killed 25 pedestrians in San Jose this year, an all-time high (ABC 7). Sensing a pattern?
- A D.C. Metro report recommends reducing fares for low-income riders and suggests a pilot program for 2,500 people lasting six to nine months. According to the report, most higher-income Metro users already receive a subsidy from their employers, and low-income users often have to limit their rides because of the expense. (WAMU)
- Clean Technica is not sure Kansas City offering free transit is a good thing. (Narrator voice: It is.) Meanwhile, streetcar ridership has more than tripled in Little Rock since transit agency Rock Region Metro eliminated the $1 fare (KATV).
- Massachusetts lawmakers are likely to propose a gas tax hike, but they’re also considering funding transportation by charging drivers per mile driven. (New England Public Radio)
- San Antonio needs a comprehensive network of bus lanes and bike and pedestrian infrastructure, argues the Rivard Report.
- Los Angeles Times readers are mad about the idea of toll lanes on the 405. Rich and poor alike, everyone has a right to be stuck in traffic.
- The London Tube map is starting to look like something drawn up by Charlie Day. (City Lab)
- Our partners at Streetsblog Chicago need to raise $15,000 more by Jan. 1 to win a $50,000 grant from the Chicago Community Trust that will fund publication next year. Please consider chipping in to support their livable streets journalism and advocacy. Make your tax-deductible donation here.
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