Thursday’s Headlines From the World Over
Click here for lots of stories about how various modes have fared during the pandemic, both manned and unmanned, and more.
By
Blake Aued
12:01 AM EDT on July 23, 2020
- Bike-share has fared better than transit during the pandemic — especially in cities that offered free passes to essential workers or added more docks near essential businesses (City Metric). But driving has recovered more quickly than walking — at least in Australia (The Conversation). Back in the U.S., 75 percent of people surveyed said they don’t feel safe using ride-hailing services, and the majority of those plan to drive their own cars instead (The Drive).
- Flying delivery drones are having a moment during the coronavirus pandemic (Reuters). So are ground-bound robots, but Autoweek says they’re not quite ready for prime time. Meanwhile, in The Hill, a University of San Francisco professor argues that automation is for the public good, especially during crises like a pandemic.
- Cellphone data can help predict which travel hubs are at risk of a second wave of coronavirus. (The Economist)
- President Trump wants to stop counting unauthorized immigrants in the U.S. Census, which would have a major impact on the way transportation funds are distributed to cities and states. Good thing he can’t actually do that. (NPR)
- Architects need to talk more about their role in redlining, public housing and other ways they’ve adversely affected Black lives. (Curbed)
- Caltrain might be just the first transit agency to face an existential crisis during the pandemic (WIRED). In related news, two Bay Area transit advocates urge supervisors to save Caltrain by putting a sales tax on the ballot (San Jose Mercury News)
- A major traffic safety bill received preliminary approval from the Washington, D.C. city council. It includes provisions for more sidewalks, crosswalks, protected bike lanes and red-light cameras — but not a proposed army of volunteers empowered to document parking violations. (DCist)
- Fort Collins, Colorado, is looking to add two bus rapid transit lines to its highly successful MAX system. (Coloradoan)
- Austin is integrating its B-cycle bike-share system into the city transit network with a single app, bundled passes and more docks along bus lines. (Monitor)
- A five-year fight over Uber’s labor practices has reached the UK Supreme Court, which could award them tens of millions of dollars in back pay and transform the gig economy. (The Guardian)
- China already has the most electric vehicle charging stations of any country in the world, and it’s looking to add 600,000 more. (Green Biz)
- Paris’ vision of being able to get to work, shopping or whatever else you need within 15 minutes by bike or on foot is the future of cities. (Treehugger)
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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