- Reports of cities' death are greatly exaggerated. Data doesn't back the media narrative that people are fleeing the pandemic for greener pastures. If anything, real estate prices are spiking everywhere because of low interest rates, lack of housing stock for sale and pent-up demand after lockdowns ended. (Curbed)
- Congress has until the end of the month to pass new highway and coronavirus relief bills, or transit agencies will be forced to start slashing services. (Roll Call)
- Uber and Lyft are marshaling right-wing news sites and online trolls to help them pass Prop 22, a California referendum that would allow the ride-hailing companies to continue classifying employees as contractors without benefits. (MSN Money)
- Transit agencies are facing the same problem as the post office: It's hard to succeed as a public service when the public expects the service to be run like a business. (City Lab)
- The L.A. Metro will no longer send police to handle nonviolent crimes and appointed a committee to recommend other community safety reforms, like homeless outreach and disarming officers (Transit Center). Instead of relying on off-duty police, Austin's Capital Metro is considering starting its own police force, with a mix of unarmed security guards and a smaller number of armed sworn officers with the power to make arrests (Community Impact).
- The pandemic forced shelters to close and pushed homeless people onto transit. The Cleveland Regional Transit Authority is working with social services agencies to get them help. (Metro)
- When demand for transit declined, one California agency shifted to delivering meals and medicine, and converted buses into mobile COVID-19 testing labs. (Governing)
- Sidewalks have been a low priority for racing capital Indianapolis, but the city will have to build more if it expects people to get out of their cars and walk enough to meet climate-change goals. (Star)
- Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley wants to keep charging fares for the once-free Bell Connector streetcar — and divert the revenue to police rather than spend it on transit. (Enquirer)
- Drivers are allowed to park on the sidewalk in parts of London, but that practice could end to clear the way for parents with strollers and people with disabilities. (The Guardian)
- Vienna is taking over the city’s bike-share system after the previous, private operator shut down half the docking stations. The Austrian capital plans to not only restore the docks, but expand the network. (Shift)
Streetsblog
Wednesday’s Headlines From Both Sides of the Atlantic
Stay in touch
Sign up for our free newsletter
More from Streetsblog USA
Removing ‘Rainbow Crosswalks’ Won’t Make America’s Arterials Safer
Secretary Duffy wants to tackle dangerous arterials. So why is he coming after rainbow crosswalks most often seen on narrow city roads?
The ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ Is About Our Transportation Future, Too
Transportation didn't get a lot of mention in the public discussion of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. But it's everywhere.
Tuesday’s Headlines of Many Colors
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy called rainbow crosswalks "a distraction" and called on cities to eliminate them.
Form-Based Codes Mean More Sustainable Cities
New research shows that prioritizing building "form" over their use leads to more sustainable cities.
Monday’s Headlines Are Big and Beautiful
The ginormous GOP tax and spending bill President Trump signed on July 4 will make the air dirtier, a lot of it from tailpipe emissions.
The Single Most Important Element In Creating Good Cities
A lot of U.S. cities are getting their "right of way" all wrong — and urbanists can help by getting to know this poorly-understood concept.