Thursday’s Headlines From Around the Nation
Cities need better planning and transit, and road safety is a public health crisis — things that are becoming more and more clear during the coronavirus pandemic.
By
Blake Aued
12:01 AM EDT on April 16, 2020
- File under: things Streetsblog has been saying for years. The coronavirus pandemic is exposing the fragility of auto-centric communities, and highlighting the need for better planning and transportation options (Rocky Mountain Institute). And the over 1 million people killed by car crashes each year is also a public health crisis (World Bank).
- With most flights grounded due to coronavirus, governments should take the opportunity to put policies in place to discourage high-emissions air travel and invest in cleaner alternatives like rail and buses. (The Guardian)
- Filling out your Census form will help determine how much transportation funding your community receives. (Mobility Lab)
- Gas tax revenue has fallen sharply during the coronavirus pandemic, and the federal Highway Trust Fund — which funds roads, bridges and transit — is quickly running out of money. (Roll Call)
- Walking and biking is important for mental and physical health while sheltering in place — but more people outdoors means it’s harder to maintain a proper distance (Omaha World-Herald). One Boston suburb has found a solution: one-way foot traffic on sidewalks (WCVB). Austin has made trails one-way as well (KXAN).
- A federal judge cleared the way for Maryland’s Purple Line by dismissing opponents’ third and final lawsuit. (Washington Post)
- California will allow Virgin Trains to sell $600 million in tax-exempt bonds to help finance a light-rail line to Las Vegas. (Bloomberg)
- Baltimore is one of the largest cities in the country that doesn’t have its own transit agency; instead, transit is controlled by the state of Maryland. Greater Greater Washington says it’s time for that to change.
- Skies are clearing in cities around the world during the coronavirus pandemic because fewer people are driving. Not in Atlanta, though, and no one knows why. (Curbed)
- A Reno hospital has turned a parking garage into a 1,400-bed temporary facility for COVID-19 victims. (Gazette Journal)
- The Bay Area City of Emeryville got rid of much-loathed beg buttons — the ones you press to get a walk signal at intersections — to help halt the spread of coronavirus. (SFGate)
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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