- 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- Seattle residents will vote in November on a sales tax to replace the repealed car-tab fee that would raise $42 million a year for Metro buses.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
Friday Video: Why Are America’s Roads and Bridges ‘Crumbling’?
Americas dangerous, crumbling roads are bridges didn't happen by accident — and it's not too late to fix them, the latest Streetcraft video says.
October 4, 2024
Friday’s Headlines Are For Local Control
It's playing out all over the country: A city wants to make a street safer for everyone, only for the state DOT to step in and say no. Learn more about the trend + more stories in today's headlines.
October 4, 2024
Talking Headways Podcast: Transit Themed Rock Music
Meet a band that writes exclusively about the car-free life on public transit. And it rocks!
October 3, 2024
Thursday’s Headlines Are Down on the Corner, Out in the Street
Bring a nickel, tap your feet as you avoid having to get into your car to drive out to the big-box strip mall.
October 3, 2024
Room for Improvement: What New York’s Subway System Can Learn from Cities Around the World
New York’s subway was once an international model of modernity. But it's not anymore.
