- Transit systems that were already strapped for cash are now facing devastating deficits (Bloomberg). The Utah Transit Authority, for example, says it could take three years to recover financially from the coronavirus pandemic — or revenue might never come all the way back (Salt Lake Tribune).
- As the 2009 stimulus taught us, Congress should focus on public transit and road repair if it wants a new coronavirus stimulus package to have the biggest impact (Transportation for America). Yet Lobbyists are using coronavirus as an excuse to lock in more spending on highway boondoggles like the I-5 expansion in Portland. (Frontier Group)
- Alon Levy of Pedestrian Observations debunks an MIT study claiming the subway is responsible for New York City’s COVID-19 pandemic. (Streetsblog)
- More than 2,000 California ride-hailing drivers have filed claims against Uber and Lyft alleging the companies owe them $630 million in back pay (Yahoo Finance). Meanwhile, taxpayers are footing the bill for drivers’ unemployment because Uber and Lyft haven’t paid into the system (KQED, following Streetsblog).
- The West Seattle Bridge will be closed for two years for extensive repairs. Separately, light rail is scheduled to come to West Seattle in 2030. Why not build a new bridge that can accomodate light rail? (The Urbanist)
- The Twin Cities’ Metro Transit is again cutting back light-rail hours in response to coronavirus. (Pioneer Press)
- A plan to close off some streets in a Dallas neighborhood to cars devolved into Facebook chaos, as some residents feared that the plan could draw stir-crazy crowds from all over the city and make walking through the neighborhood more dangerous. (D Magazine)
- Helsinki recently concluded successful pilot programs for on-demand boat rides, rental cargo bikes and carpools to soccer practice. Next up: robot buses. (Intelligent Transport)
- The Globe and Mail pushes Canadian cities to open up their streets to cyclists and pedestrians so people can stay six feet apart.
Streetsblog
Monday’s Headlines from Around Our Nation
Stay in touch
Sign up for our free newsletter
More from Streetsblog USA
Friday Video: The Massachusetts Company That Traded the Trash Truck For a Bike
This small worker-owned cooperative is reimagining how to do recycling, composting, yardwork and more — no diesel required.
Friday’s Deadly Headlines
Reducing our reliance on fossil fuels would bring immediate health benefits for hundreds of thousands of people.
Commentary: The Real Reason Trump Opposes High-Speed Rail Isn’t About Trains; It’s about Power
This is about petroleum versus renewable electric power.
Talking Headways Podcast: The Menace of Prosperity
Daniel Wortel-London on his new book, "The Menace of Prosperity: New York City and the Struggle for Economic Development, 1875–1981."
Thursday’s Headlines Are a Sneak Preview
Want to see what happens when a city makes major transit cuts? Just look at Philadelphia. It's not pretty.
What I’ve Learned From Getting Transit Wrong
"Advocacy isn’t about pretending you’ve always been right. It’s about learning, adapting, and bringing those lessons into the fight for better transit and better cities."