Streetsblog

Wednesday’s Headlines as We Hit Mid-Week

States from New Jersey to California are going back on lockdown as COVID-19 cases surge. (Bloomberg) City Observatory looks at how state DOTs greenwash highway projects by pretending to care about the environmental impacts while emissions continue to rise. The Federal Railroad Administration has set standards for Amtrak by measuring customer service and on-time performance. … Continued

By Blake Aued

12:01 AM EST on November 18, 2020

States from New Jersey to California are going back on lockdown as COVID-19 cases surge. (Bloomberg)
City Observatory looks at how state DOTs greenwash highway projects by pretending to care about the environmental impacts while emissions continue to rise.
The Federal Railroad Administration has set standards for Amtrak by measuring customer service and on-time performance. (Metro)
Call it the anti-Project Connect: The Texas DOT wants to widen I-35 through Austin from 12 to 20 (!) lanes. (Towers)
The Central Ohio Transit Authority is extending a program offering free transit passes to downtown Columbus workers and residents through 2025. More than 15,000 people are enrolled, and it helped COTA reach record ridership in 2019. (Intelligent Transport)
Muni’s Central Subway project in San Francisco has been delayed until 2022. (SF Chronicle)
Years before a streetcar extension will be completed, it’s already fueling development in Midtown Kansas City. (Star)
The Pittsburgh Port Authority is holding hearings on a long-range transit plan and wants participants to think big. (Post-Gazette)
Unlike many cities where drivers are killing more people during the pandemic, Boulder has seen a drop in both traffic and crashes.
Illinois awarded $112 million in grants for 31 downstate transit projects. (WSIL)
The Harvard Crimson calls for fare-free transit in Boston. (That’ll change some minds!)
The U.K.’s low-traffic neighborhoods have often drawn staunch opposition, but now many critics are admitting they were wrong. Businesses are busier than ever in places where parking was taken away to make room for bike lanes and wider sidewalks. (The Guardian)
Munich is paying people not to park. (Cities Today)
Here’s a heartwarming story about a father and daughter biking cross-country on those old-timey high-wheel bikes. (New York Post)