Tuesday’s Headlines From Around the Nation

12:01 AM EDT on May 12, 2020

As people start to go back to work all over the world, they’re getting into cars instead of getting back on transit (Washington Post). Demand for gas is rising and rush hour is making a comeback because workers are scared of being exposed to coronavirus on a train (Bloomberg). Still, Outside's Eben Weiss is hopeful that measures such as Oakland’s slow streets movement could finally kill off car culture (Outside).
To avoid a carmaggeddon, Australia is encouraging people who are scared to use transit to walk or bike instead (Yahoo News). The U.K. has committed 5 billion pounds to walking, biking and buses, and will start fast-tracking projects immediately (Forbes). Biking has gotten so popular in the U.K. during the lockdown that many bike shops are sold out (The Guardian).
To survive, transit agencies will have to take steps to prepare for the next pandemic, experts said at the online Shared Mobility Summit. Meanwhile, ride-hailing companies may have to refocus on major urban areas, and micro-mobility companies will have to become better partners with cities. (Government Technology)
Uber lost nearly $3 billion in the first quarter of 2020, but analysts say the company has enough cash to survive the coronavirus crisis. (Business Insider)
Lime and Jump have merged (Streetsblog), and Lime will be temporarily removing its former rival’s bikes from Seattle for maintenance and rebranding. (Seattle Times)
Elon Musk is reopening Tesla's California plant in defiance of orders meant to slow the spread of coronavirus. (CNN)
COVID-19 is showing that Houston’s streets aren’t just for commuting by car — more bike lanes and sidewalks are needed in many neighborhoods, according to the city’s first-ever chief transportation planner. (Chronicle)
A deal to buy an abandoned rail yard south of Denver is likely to fall through, threatening both a planned interstate expansion and future light rail and commuter rail projects. (Colorado Public Radio)
The St. Paul city council stuck to its guns and denied restaurant owners’ appeal to halt the removal of a few dozen parking spaces to make way for a bike lane. (City Pages)
A recent poll found that Philadelphia pedestrians are concerned about cracked and blocked sidewalks, construction areas and distracted drivers. (Voice)

Stay in touch

More from Streetsblog USA

Book Excerpt Special: Jonathan Lethem’s ‘Program’s Progress’

Class struggle. Infirm secondary superheroes. Suicidal sheep. It’s all in Jonathan Lethem's new collection of short stories, "A Different Kind of Tension." Here's an excerpt — featuring class struggle with cars!