Thursday’s Headlines
- Electric scooters may have a bigger environmental impact than you think. E-scooter provider Skip says it will start sharing data on replacement parts — which require resources to produce and dispose of — in hopes of encouraging manufacturers to improve sustainability. (The Verge)
- Democratic presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg — who released a transportation plan last week — put out a broader infrastructure plan Wednesday focused mainly on repairing roads and bridges (The Hill). Streetsblog Editor Gersh Kuntzman credits Bloomberg with devoting funding to repairs rather than new roads and provides additional details, though he notes that the former New York City mayor didn't say where the money would come from.
- In light of Bloomberg and Pete Buttigieg recently releasing transportation plans, Curbed updated its overview of where the Democratic presidential candidates stand.
- Drivers killed 22 pedestrians and injured 62 more in San Diego last year — down from a peak in 2018, but still a far cry from the city’s goal of zero deaths by 2025. (Union-Tribune)
- Tampa residents clamored for safety improvements on affluent Bayshore Boulevard after speeding teens killed a mother and her toddler and a drunk driver killed a man walking on the sidewalk. Some think more improvements are needed, while others think the city should move on to fixing statistically more dangerous streets where deaths aren’t so high-profile. (Tampa Bay Times)
- Montgomery County, Maryland leaders will provide an update on Vision Zero next week and hold a town hall meeting in February after a recent spate of crashes that killed or injured pedestrians. (WTOP)
- Spokane won a $53-million Federal Transit Administration grant for a bus rapid transit line. (KXLY)
- The FTA also cleared Minneapolis’ BRT Gold Line, finding that it won’t significantly affect the environment. (Star Tribune)
- Atlanta’s five e-scooter companies are operating on month-to-month permits as the city continues to consider new regulations. (AJC)
- Philadelphia’s transit agency is taking its iconic Girard Avenue trolleys off the streets and replacing them with buses because most of them can’t pass inspection. (Plan Philly)
- The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority is auctioning off “vintage” (read: old and busted) trolley and subway cars. (WCVB)
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