Transit

Friday’s Headlines to Start the Weekend

Lots of news about struggling transit — plus all the other stories.

By Blake Aued

12:01 AM EDT on September 18, 2020

Mythbusters: Spain hasn’t recorded any COVID-19 outbreaks on subways, trains or buses, and health experts now believe that mandatory mask policies and ventilation systems make transit safe to ride (El Pais). And gatherings in cramped spaces and overall access to health care have more to do with COVID’s spread than high density itself (Scientific American).
Senate Democrats want to reduce sprawl, encourage walking and improve transit to help solve the climate crisis. (Transportation for America)
Private bus operators face a grim future without federal help. (Roll Call)
Reckless driving is surging in Milwaukee, and so is the number of people killed by drivers (Fox 6). The story is similar in Austin, where traffic volume is down, but drivers are speeding and killing more people (KVUE). Traffic deaths are up in Philadelphia, too, which officials blame on drunk driving and less congested streets (WHYY).
Utah will be a pretty uncomfortable place if it adds 5 million people by 2050 without expanding public transit. (Utah Policy)
San Antonio’s underfunded transit system limits access to jobs and education (KSAT). The station also looks back at the history of mass transit in the Texas city, from horse-drawn streetcars to buses.
Seattle cyclists are pushing for a two-way bike lane on the Fremont Bridge so they don’t have to share the road with cars or a narrow sidewalk with pedestrians. (KING 5)
Detroit’s MoGo bike-share is not just poplar — it’s been an essential mode of transportation during the pandemic. (CW 50)
Maryland’s first bus rapid transit line will open in Montgomery County later this year. (Greater Greater Washington)
Houston has a new bike-share system in a 300-acre park designed primarily for recreation, with bikes coming from Denver’s defunct BCycle. (Houston Public Media)