- 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)
Streetsblog
Thursday’s Headlines to Keep You Going
Stay in touch
Sign up for our free newsletter
More from Streetsblog USA
Monday’s Headlines Are Dragging Their Feet
The Trump administration claims the Biden administration left them with a backlog — but they've actually been far slower at getting transportation money to states than their predecessors, a new analysis finds.
These U.S. Communities’ So-Called ‘Complete Streets’ Policies Don’t Even Deserve the Name
Any city can call itself a "Complete Streets" champion. But not all of them are walking the walk — and if they don't, a top organization says they'll no longer give them a platform on its esteemed "best of" ranking.
Communities Rally To Reclaim Streets From ICE Terror
"This is an attack on Los Angeles. This is an attack on California. On all of us."
Friday Video: The London Neighborhood Where Bikes Outnumber Cars
...and how they got to that impressive milestone.
Friday’s Headlines Battle Galactus
Like the Marvel supervillain, U.S. interstate highway system seems to eat up everything in his path. A new book explores how to stop it.
New Report Shows Pedestrian Fatalities Drop — But Experts Say Not Enough
The Governors Highway Safety Association report showed a 4 percent drop in the number of pedestrian deaths last year, putting a slow on a dangerous trend — but advocates say the drop isn't nearly big enough.