Monday’s Headlines From Around the Nation
What's in the coronavirus stimulus bill for transportation? Click here to find out.
By
Blake Aued
12:01 AM EDT on March 30, 2020
- The Trump administration is using coronavirus as an excuse to let polluters violate environmental laws with impunity. (New York Times)
- As coronavirus crushes demand for gas, prices could fall below $1 per gallon in some parts of the U.S. (Market Watch). But, as Electrek points out, that’s still more expensive than charging an electric vehicle.
- The Eno Center for Transportation has a detailed breakdown of the $114 billion for transportation in the coronavirus stimulus bill. TL;DR most of it will go to airlines, but there is $25 billion for transit agencies and $1 billion for Amtrak — not enough, as Streetsblog previously reported.
- Already in turmoil thanks to regulations and shaky business models, e-scooter companies are scaling back as demand shrinks during the coronavirus pandemic. (Bloomberg)
- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is considering tweaking its rules to pave the way for self-driving cars (Wired). In related news, delivery robots, it’s your time to shine (Slate).
- Here’s another article, this one from Reuters, about how the coronavirus pandemic is exposing Uber and Lyft drivers’ lack of a safety net. But the bailout will let them off the hook again (Streetsblog).
- Legendary architect and urbanist Michael Sorkin has died of COVID-19 at the age of 71. (Quartz)
- France is using high-speed trains with mobile emergency rooms to transport COVID-19 victims from hard-hit regions to hospitals that still have beds. (NPR)
- Toronto is considering banning cars from some streets so pedestrians have room to spread out while social distancing (Globe and Mail). New York did it — a tiny, tiny bit (Streetsblog).
- Orlando kids’ sidewalk chalk art is bring a smile to people’s faces during the pandemic. (Click Orlando)
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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