Friday’s Headlines

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• In response to the coronavirus outbreak, Uber and Lyft are telling drivers to wipe down their cars and stay home if they feel sick (CNet). A Lyft executive thinks the virus means more people will use its app instead of riding public transit, but Uber expects to take a hit (Market Watch). Meanwhile, in China coronavirus has led to a resurgence in bike-sharing (Abacus).
• Ride-hailing kills: According to a new study, when Uber and Lyft arrive in a city, traffic deaths go up 3 percent. (Human Transit)
• Cities don’t need big, expensive projects or hyperloop-style gimmicks to improve transportation. They can do cheap and easy things like build sidewalks and bus shelters. (City Lab)
• Cycling can help reduce inequality, according a UK study, but many low-income people don’t ride bikes because it’s too dangerous. (City Metric)
• Transportation consultant Mariia Zimmerman writes about why parking disputes make otherwise sane people unhinged and offers arguments against more parking. For example, parking minimums increase the cost of housing and put a disproportionate burden on low-income people. (MZ Strategies)
• Rather than try to build consensus statewide, state leaders might be better off letting cities and regions tackle transit projects. (Commonwealth)
• New Hampshire Sen. Maggie Hassan introduced a bill to fund passenger rail between Boston and Manchester. (Ink Link)
• Kansas City may have made transit fare-free, but it still hasn’t found the $8 million needed to fund the policy. (Smart Cities Dive)
• Sacramento streets are designed for speed, not safety. (Bee)
• TriMet is downgrading ridership estimates for a new Portland light rail line. (Willamette Week)
• A new 10-year transit plan for Northwest Arkansas will be ready later this month. (Democrat-Gazette)
• Thou shalt not build this Washington, D.C. bike lane. (WJLA)