Tuesday’s Headlines From Around the Nation
Coronavirus continues to kill transit systems — but there may be a silver lining. Click here to read more.
By
Blake Aued
12:05 AM EDT on March 24, 2020
- The coronavirus crisis is an opportunity for the federal government to rethink the way it funds transit. Instead of funding capital projects — supply — at a time when demand is collapsing, it should be funding operations so essential workers can get to work. (Vice)
- The Green New Deal would put a majority of Americans within walking distance of transit by 2030 — especially important at a time when many people won’t be able to afford to keep their cars. (Curbed)
- New York’s MTA and nine other transit agencies are asking the feds for a $25 billion bailout so they can get essential workers to work despite decimated revenue. (Streetsblog)
- Contrary to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s belief (Streetsblog NYC), bike shops are essential businesses (Bicycling).
- COVID-19 can be deadly. But how many lives will be saved by less congestion, more bike-riding, less pollution and fewer car crashes? (City Lab)
- At a time when Uber and Lyft drivers are facing coronavirus risks and clamoring for health insurance, a federal judge ruled that Massachusetts can’t reclassify the independent contractors as employees with labor rights. (Bloomberg)
- How did the suburbs get so sprawling? Cul-de-sacs were originally intended to protect people from traffic, but instead made it harder to walk places. Meanwhile, the auto industry lobbied for expressways and designing busier roads for high speeds. (Planetizen)
- Coronavirus roundup: Like many transit agencies’, L.A. Metro ridership is down about 60 percent, and it’s cutting back service (LAist). Transit agencies in Houston (Chronicle) and King County, Washington (Patch), as well as the Cincinnati streetcar (Enquirer), are suspending fares. Phoenix also dropped fares and is roping off drivers with caution tape (Republic). The El Paso streetcar is suspending service (KVIA).
- Pittsburgh is updating its bike master plan for the first time in over 20 years, proposing 226 miles of new bike lanes and trails, tripling the city’s bike facilities over the next 10 years. (Next City)
- Wannabe Iron Man Elon Musk is going to swoop in and make more ventilators. OK. (City and State New York)
Blake Aued has been doing Streetsblog's daily national news digest for years. He's also an Atlanta Braves fan, which enrages his editor in New York.
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