- The coronavirus pandemic is showing Americans just how much space in cities is wasted on cars (The Atlantic). San Francisco residents have been clamoring for the city to close Golden Gate Park to autos, giving them a safe space to exercise, and Mayor London Breed finally complied (SFGate). Boston’s currently empty streets provide a great opportunity to widen sidewalks, add bike lanes and lower speed limits (Boston Magazine). But in New York City, cars still rule the streets, even when the streets are empty (NY Mag). But then again, Mayor Bill de Blasio finally committed to opening 100 miles of streets, as Streetsblog reported.
- And this should go without saying, but expanding sidewalks doesn't spread COVID-19 (Streetsblog).
- City Lab has some ideas on how to save public transit: In the short term, sanitize vehicles and stations, give workers PPE and require riders to wear masks. Make plans to scale up service and rebuild ridership when the crisis ends. Then encourage density near transit stations and rethink how transit is funded. Meanwhile, Transit Center is hosting a webinar Wednesday on fixing busted transit funding.
- Transportation workers want the government to mandate the use of personal protective equipment, but the feds have been reluctant to step in. (Roll Call)
- In cities like Atlanta, scooter companies are pushing local governments to rethink their auto-centric street designs. (Slate)
- Houston is lobbying the Texas DOT to scale back plans to rebuild I-45, replace car lanes with dedicated bus rapid transit lanes and build bus stations along the freeway with pedestrian and bike access. (Chronicle)
- Drivers killed 17 pedestrians in Philadelphia over the first three months of the year — almost double the number of deaths over the same period in 2019. (WHYY)
- Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti wants to cut millions from the city’s Vision Zero program, which isn’t working very well even when fully funded. Pedestrian deaths are up 52 percent since 2015, when the program started. (LAist)
- Delaware legislators want to work with Amtrak, Pennsylvania and Maryland to create a regional commuter rail system. (Business Now)
- Side effects of India’s coronavirus lockdown include clear skies, mountain views and the sounds of birds chirping rather than drivers honking. (New Yorker)
Streetsblog
Tuesday’s Headlines From Around the Nation
By Blake Aued
Stay in touch
Sign up for our free newsletter
More from Streetsblog USA
Trump’s Transportation ‘Funding Freeze’ Was Just the Tip of the Iceberg, GAO Says
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act was slow to get money out the door even before the current president threw the process into chaos. This must change.
August 4, 2025
Monday’s Headlines Hit the Beach
North America needs more coastal bikeways like those in European beach towns, David Zipper writes in CityLab.
August 4, 2025
Bus Rapid Transit Can Work … If Cities Follow the Formula
It sure beats the current method of guessing or simply basing the route on how strongly a given neighborhood opposes or supports it.
Friday Video: We’re All Paying For ‘Free’ Parking, Whether Or Not We Drive
Parking mandates aren't the only reason why your city has so much asphalt. Check out the hidden reason why so many businesses build way more parking than they need.
August 1, 2025
Friday’s Headlines Take It Back
Apparently transportation can be too "woke." Plus, only cities can save us from climate change now, and more headlines.
August 1, 2025
Opinion: Ohio is the Poster Child for Why We Need a Stronger Federal Approach to Passenger Rail
Ohio's reluctance to build new passenger rail has made them a bottleneck in the national network, and an emblem of bigger national problem.
August 1, 2025
