- Transit app data shows that ridership fell 70% over just two weeks in March as coronavirus started shutting down cities. And it may not be done declining. (Washington Post)
- The New York Times used cell-phone data to measure traveling and illustrate where people are sheltering in place, and where they’re not. Spoiler alert: Red states DGAF about sheltering in place.
- Biking is way up during the coronavirus pandemic as people look for ways to safely get around while social distancing, and bike shops are thriving, too. (Forbes)
- Stay-at-home orders have cut California car crashes in half, according to a UC-Davis study. That means 15,000 fewer collisions and 6,000 fewer injuries a month. (Los Angeles Times)
- Oregon transportation officials are allowing the Rose Quarter I-5 widening project through Portland to move forward, ruling Thursday that it doesn’t need further environmental review, over the objections of green and neighborhood groups. (Oregonian)
- Wired profiles San Francisco transportation chief Jeffrey Tumlin, who thinks cars screw up cities and wants them out.
- Virginia’s new Passenger Rail Authority has the potential to revolutionize transit in the state by owning and managing an expanding network of passenger rail lines shielded from the influence of politics and corporations. (Greater Greater Washington)
- The car-centric Atlanta suburb of Gwinnett County has less than a week to finalize a transit plan if it wants to put joining the Metro Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority on the ballot this November. (Curbed)
- A Florida judge has ruled against plans to extend a state highway through wetlands in Miami-Dade, citing its “meager” effect on congestion and lack of proof that the project won’t hinder Everglades restoration (Miami Herald). Meanwhile, a new express bus on State Route 836 really will provide traffic relief (CBS Miami).
- In Seattle, transit remains a lifeline for essential workers who don’t have cars. (Seattle Times)
- Proposed toll hikes on the Atlantic City Expressway would help pay for light rail. (Press of Atlantic City)
- On your left! Here are the rules for maintaining a safe distance on crowded sidewalks in the COVID-19 era. (Treehugger)
Streetsblog
Friday’s Headlines From Around the Nation
Stay in touch
Sign up for our free newsletter
More from Streetsblog USA
The Missing Ingredients in America’s ‘Minimobility’ Revolution
Cargo trikes, GEMs, bike rickshaws, and other light electric vehicles could help wean America off cars — but a new grant that could help cities encourage their adoption is being paused by the Trump administration.
Who Benefits from Trump ‘Birthrate’ Funding Scheme? Wealthier, Whiter Drivers
This prioritization lacks evidence of how it will meet the memo’s stated purpose to “bolster the American economy and benefit the American people.”
Tuesday’s Headlines Man the Barricades
After the deadly New Year's Eve truck attack in New Orleans, how can cities better protect pedestrians from increasingly heavy and powerful vehicles?
Trump Can’t Legally Kill Congestion Pricing, But When Has That Ever Stopped Him?
New York's leaders can't take Donald Trump's threats to congestion pricing, and the constitutional order, lying down — but they might anyway.
Op-Ed: Amtrak Isn’t Profitable — And That’s Okay
"As a for-profit company, Amtrak fails ... spectacularly. As a government agency, created half a century ago to carry out a public purpose recognized in law and in Supreme Court rulings, it is a spectacular success worth celebrating, supporting, and building up."