Tuesday’s Headlines From Around the World
Some cities are really into creating miles of public space for socially responsible recreation. Other cities are not. Plus all the other news of the day.
By
Blake Aued
12:01 AM EDT on April 14, 2020
- The New York Times has a roundup of cities like Boston, Minneapolis and Oakland that are closing streets to traffic to give cyclists and pedestrians more room for social distance. Curbed and Mother Jones have more on Oakland, which is slowing down and limiting traffic on 74 miles of streets. Meanwhile, New York City’s mayor doesn’t care (Streetsblog).
- People who are taking transit to work during the coronavirus pandemic are having a hard time staying six feet apart (Time). TransitCenter explains how transit agencies are balancing public health with the transportation needs of essential workers, for example by cutting peak-hour service because office workers are working from home, and by prioritizing access to medical facilities.
- Uber is expanding eligibility for paid sick leave, but drivers are likely to see reduced benefits as a result. (Gizmodo)
- Some cities and states are halting road projects as sheltering in place cuts into gas tax revenue, while others are taking advantage of empty streets to accelerate such projects. (Minneapolis Star Tribune)
- Google’s drone delivery service, Wing, is testing sites in Virginia as people stay at home during the coronavirus pandemic (Bloomberg). So are sidewalk delivery droids from a British startup (Guardian).
- Harrisburg’s transit agency (CBS 21) and New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (Hudson County View) are requiring transit riders to wear face masks. Denver’s transit agency is giving drivers handmade masks and limiting how many passengers can ride on each bus at one time. (Denver Post)
- New Orleans’s Regional Transit Authority is shutting down late-night bus and streetcar service. (Times-Picayune)
- The Star Advertiser urges Honolulu to push forward on its long-troubled light rail project.
- Jacksonville has added a new bus route and won’t be collecting fares until further notice. (Daily News)
- Dallas’s transit agency is delivering meals to students, groceries to the handicapped and care packages to seniors. (Morning News)
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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