- U.S. mayors identify climate change as an important issue and point to vehicles as a culprit, according to a Boston University survey, but few of them call pedestrian safety a top priority or are willing to tackle the overabundance of cheap parking that’s fueling the problem (City Lab)...
- ...But not in Washington, D.C., where plans to redevelop Union Station call for 1,600 parking spaces — about a third less than what’s currently there. Some officials and activists want to reduce the number even further or eliminate parking altogether. (WaPost)
- Your city’s roads are probably fine; the problem is that people are driving too much. (Strong Towns)
- Gov. Charlie Baker said he'll seek a $135-million budget increase for Massachusetts transit this year, the first time he's admitted publicly that the T needs more funding. He also pushed for an $18-billion transportation bond issue and touted the Transportation Climate Initiative, an interstate compact to fight climate change, during his State of the Commonwealth speech. (Boston Globe)
- Atlanta is considering taking over the responsibility for sidewalk maintenance from property owners, who aren’t doing the job. A report due in March is expected to reveal a billion-dollar backlog of repairs. (Curbed)
- If Memphis transit officials had the $6 million to $8 million needed to go fare-free, they’d rather put the money into improving service. Cutting into the two and a half hours it takes to get across town by bus would do more to boost ridership. (Daily Memphian)
- Further proof that going after fare jumpers isn’t worth the trouble: Denver train stations don’t have turnstiles, but officials say fewer than 2 percent of riders don’t pay. (Colorado Public Radio)
- Salt Lake City residents have strong opinions on e-scooters. (Deseret News)
- Barcelona recently declared a “climate emergency,” along with plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030, primarily by improving transit and creating low-emissions zones where polluting vehicles are banned. (El Pais)
- A Cincinnati engineer has an idea for “wingless planes” that, to be honest, just sound more like a monorail or elevated train. (Local 12)
- Talk about self-driving cars: An investor is asking the U.S. DOT to look into claims that Teslas sometimes suddenly accelerate on their own (CNBC). The company denies that this is true, but then, wouldn't you...? (Tech Crunch).
Today's Headlines
Wednesday’s Headlines
By Blake Aued
Stay in touch
Sign up for our free newsletter
More from Streetsblog USA
Friday’s Headlines Boldly Go Where Many Have Gone Before
A new Uber service will allow large groups of people traveling to the same destination to share a vehicle that carries up to 55 occupants. Sound familiar?
May 17, 2024
Op-Ed: This ‘Bike to Work’ Day, Let’s Pass Bold Policies To Support Cyclists
"It is hard to think of another mode of transportation that is a more powerful tool to meet [our challenges.]"
May 17, 2024
Talking Headways Podcast: An Update to Human Transit
Jarrett Walker on the release of the revised edition of his influential book Human Transit.
May 16, 2024
Thursday’s Headlines Taste Great and Are Less Filling
Is shooting for "car-lite" cities a more realistic goal than "car-free"? One author thinks so. Either way, new evidence suggests that less exposure to emissions lowers the risk of asthma.
May 16, 2024
This City Leader Wants Drivers to Pay $850/Year To Register Their Cars — And Give The Money To Transit
What if driver had a choice between paying for the equivalent of a yearly bus pass just to register a car, or skipping the DMV and taking the actual bus for free?
May 16, 2024
