Streetsblog

Thursday’s Headlines to Keep You Going

Tuesday night's election was a nail-biter (and it still ain't over yet), but it was a good night for transit. Plus all the other news of the day.

By Blake Aued

8:50 AM EST on November 5, 2020

Tuesday night’s election was a nail-biter, and it still ain’t over yet, but it was a good night for transit, with 13 out of 17 major initiatives on state and local ballots passing. (Streetsblog USA)
The most closely watched nationally was Prop 22 in California, where voters exempted Uber and Lyft from a state law classifying their drivers as employees entitled to benefits instead of independent contractors (CNN). Mother Jones says the ride-hailing companies essentially bought the election by spending $200 million, which is a pittance when they’ll now be allowed to pay drivers as little as $5.64 an hour. But Vice says their business model is doomed anyway.
Also in California, Measure RR will provide Caltrain with a stable source of funding for the first time. (Streetsblog SF, NBC Bay Area)
Austin voters overwhelmingly approved the $7-billion Project Connect transit plan (Monitor). They also approved a smaller package of street, trail, bike lane and sidewalk improvements. (KXAN)
San Antonio also approved a sales-tax measure to expand transit. (Express-News).
Seattle at least partially replaced a car-tab fee that’s faced legal challenges with a sales-tax hike to fund transit. (Seattle Times)
A tight referendum on transit in the notoriously auto-centric Atlanta suburb of Gwinnett County remains in limbo, though, as absentee ballots are still being counted. A previous attempt in 2018 failed badly, though, so even a close loss would be progress. (Daily Post)
A $4-billion payroll tax hike for bus service and other transportation improvements bitterly that was bitterly opposed by businesses failed in Portland, though. (Willamette Week)
However, Bend, Ore., approved a $190-million bond issue that will pay for bike and pedestrian infrastructure, among other things. (Bulletin)
In other news, charges were dropped against an Asheville, N.C., police officer who pleaded guilty of beating a Black man for jaywalking in 2017. (WRAL)