Tuesday’s Headlines
- The breakneck growth of the e-scooter industry globally has hit a speed bump, and companies are looking to address safety concerns and supply chain inefficiencies. (Wall Street Journal)
- When it prevents homeowners from installing solar panels on their roofs to help forestall catastrophic climate change, historic preservation has gone too far. (Also, the only thing historic preservation is preserving is rich people's property values.) (New York Times)
- Uber is now available in Vancouver, the last major North American city to hold out against ride-hailing (Quartz). The company is also looking to get back into the London market, cutting a deal with Nissan to provide 2,000 electric LEAFs to drivers (Axios).
- Much has been written about Virginia’s $3.7-billion plan to expand intercity rail, but the Washington Post is the first to delve into what those plans mean for Amtrak. The number of Amtrak trains operating in Virginia is expected to double — part of its long-term plan to compete with driving and short flights in dense urban corridors.
- San Francisco’s Market Street goes car-free on Wednesday, and transit advocates are already looking at which streets to close off to traffic next. (SF Chronicle, StreetsblogSF)
- Bus ridership among students is up 50 percent since Montgomery County, Maryland expanded its fare-free policy for people under age 18. (WAMU)
- A group of 48 Maryland legislators have formed a new caucus to push for more transit funding from the state. (Greater Greater Washington)
- A last-ditch effort to restart the Loop streetcar in St. Louis has failed, and the Federal Transit Administration is likely to try to claw back the $25 million grant used to build the line. (Post-Dispatch)
- People fleeing a mass shooting in Seattle last week were faced with surge prices of more than $100 for Lyft and Uber rides. (KIRO)
- The Philadelphia Inquirer has a Q&A with Leslie Richards, the new general manager of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority.
- Pop-up markets in MARTA stations are giving Atlanta transit riders access to fresh produce they can’t always find in their neighborhoods. (Politico)
- Miss Manners says it’s not OK to yell at rude drivers while riding your bike (Washington Post). We respectfully disagree.
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