- Republicans' new coronavirus relief bill, the HEALS Act, includes $10 billion for air travel, but stiffs public transit, even though 90 percent of transit riders post-COVID are essential workers (Streetsblog USA). After the bill dropped, transit agencies nationwide renewed their call for $32 billion in emergency funding to replace decimated fare collections and head off catastrophic service cuts (Washington Post).
- Just as protesters nationwide are toppling Confederate statues, activists in cities like New Orleans are pushing to tear down the urban freeways that resulted from racist policies targeting Black neighborhoods for destruction (Pew Stateline). Many of those freeways were built during Urban Renewal, and the Boston Review has a long history of the program, which at its peak in the 1960s displaced 50,000 Black families a year.
- The League of American Cyclists named a new award for Kittie Knox, a Black woman from Boston who belonged to the organization's precursor and faced discrimination on the racing circuit in the 1890s. (Velo News)
- A new report from the de Beaumont Foundation, Kaiser Permanente, Smart Growth America and the National Complete Streets Coalition gave 29 of the 40 largest cities in the U.S. a gold medal for pedestrian safety, up seven from 2018.
- MIT research shows that many ride-hailing trips are replacing transit rides, rather than trips in private vehicles. In one Chinese city, a third of ride-hailing passengers would have taken transit instead.
- Old tires can be used to build bike-lane barriers that are better than the flimsy plastic poles many cities use. (Fast Company)
- A federal judge ordered New York State to start paying unemployment benefits to Uber and Lyft drivers — a major victory in their fight for labor rights. (NY Times)
- Seattle residents will vote in November on a sales tax to replace the repealed car-tab fee that would raise $42 million a year for Metro buses. (Seattle Times)
- San Francisco supervisors reversed course and approved $40 million for Caltrain, which was in danger of going bankrupt, though permanent funding is contingent on governance reform at the transit agency. (Examiner)
- Dallas Area Rapid Transit generates $10 billion a year for the local economy and over 60,000 construction jobs, according to a University of North Texas study. (Mass Transit Mag)
- Houston is considering an ordinance to fine drivers who park in bike lanes or tow their cars. (Chronicle)
- These delivery robots are coming soon to clutter up a sidewalk near you. (Digital Trends)
Streetsblog
Thursday’s Headlines Served Up Fresh
By Blake Aued
Stay in touch
Sign up for our free newsletter
More from Streetsblog USA
Wednesday’s Headlines Think Globally, Act Locally
In a world where the federal government is aligned against all your goals, what else can you do?
February 5, 2025
Study: You’re Not That Much Safer In a 4,000+ Pound Car
For decades, American car buyers believed that bigger = safer. A new study finds that rule appears to have hit a ceiling.
February 5, 2025
Op-Ed: Reviewing America’s First (and Last?) Federal ‘Reconnecting Communities’ Pilot
The Biden administration exhausted the funds of the first-in-the-nation Reconnecting Communities program before they left office. But how did they spend the money — and what can we learn about how to do better next time, if advocates ever get another bite at the apple?
February 5, 2025
Tuesday’s Headlines Are a Sanctuary
The Trump administration's latest threat would withhold funding from many big-city transit agencies and transportation projects in some blue states with "sanctuary" policies on immigration.
February 4, 2025
This Automaker Is Attacking Sustainable Transportation Even More Than You Think
The world's largest automaker has been ramping up spending to put climate change deniers in Congress, and crushing support for all kinds of sustainable modes in the process.
February 4, 2025
