- The Senate coronavirus relief bill includes $1 billion for Amtrak and $20 billion for transit agencies, which would be required to recognize unions, maintain benefits and offer unemployment assistance to receive grants. (Bloomberg). Uber also wants its drivers, who are independent contractors in most states, to be eligible for benefits under the bill (Axios).
- Cities should promote social distancing by taking streets away from cars and giving them to cyclists and pedestrians — and then make those changes permanent. (The Verge)
- The novel coronavirus could permanently change traffic patterns in congested cities like New York, Los Angeles and Atlanta as more people work from home. (Curbed, Car and Driver)
- For people living in cities under coronavirus lockdown, transportation options are limited. (Forbes)
- Biking is OK during the coronavirus pandemic — just make sure you keep your distance. (San Francisco Chronicle)
- Charlotte — where ridership has dropped 41 percent — is cutting back bus and light rail service but making it free (Observer). Pittsburgh is also cutting back service (Tribune-Review), and so is Minneapolis (Star Tribune). St. Louis has shifted to a weekend schedule (Post-Dispatch).
- Bike shops in Washington state are doing fine as other businesses grind to a halt. (Spokane Tribune-Review)
- Bus routes that serve low-income Boston residents remain busy, so ‘T’ service cuts could put them further at risk for COVID-19. (Streetsblog Mass)
- John LaPlante, a longtime biking advocate and former Chicago DOT commissioner, died Saturday of COVID-19 at age 80. (WBEZ)
- Manchester, England, has an ambitious plan to build 1,800 miles of biking and walking paths in the city and surrounding region. (City Metric)
Today's Headlines
Wednesday’s Headlines From Around the Nation
Stay in touch
Sign up for our free newsletter
More from Streetsblog USA
Wednesday’s Headlines Think Globally, Act Locally
In a world where the federal government is aligned against all your goals, what else can you do?
Study: You’re Not That Much Safer In a 4,000+ Pound Car
For decades, American car buyers believed that bigger = safer. A new study finds that rule appears to have hit a ceiling.
Op-Ed: Reviewing America’s First (and Last?) Federal ‘Reconnecting Communities’ Pilot
The Biden administration exhausted the funds of the first-in-the-nation Reconnecting Communities program before they left office. But how did they spend the money — and what can we learn about how to do better next time, if advocates ever get another bite at the apple?
Tuesday’s Headlines Are a Sanctuary
The Trump administration's latest threat would withhold funding from many big-city transit agencies and transportation projects in some blue states with "sanctuary" policies on immigration.
This Automaker Is Attacking Sustainable Transportation Even More Than You Think
The world's largest automaker has been ramping up spending to put climate change deniers in Congress, and crushing support for all kinds of sustainable modes in the process.