Let Thursday’s Headlines Wash Over You
An economics study proves drivers love their cars too much, a soaked Chicago cyclists goes viral and more headlines.
By
Blake Aued
12:01 AM EST on December 3, 2020
- Car owners over-value the sense of control their vehicles give them, and competitors like transit need to provide the same level of freedom and convenience to succeed at getting them out of their cars, according to an MIT study.
- Experts are hopeful that “Amtrak Joe” Biden’s love of trains could lead to a more modern and robust rail system. (Traveler)
- The Biden administration should regulate Tesla, whose self-driving technology is too risky to allow on the road. (Slate)
- After getting Prop 22 passed in California, Uber and Lyft are gearing up for labor fights all over the country. As many as a third of their drivers can’t fight back—they’re immigrants and unable to vote. (City Lab)
- Transportation for America has guidelines on how cities should allocate increasingly in-demand curb space.
- The D.C. Metro could be forced to close 19 stations and even cancel weekend service unless Congress comes through with emergency funding. (Reuters)
- In this pandemic, New York City streets are quiet—too quiet for visually impaired people who find it difficult to know when to cross the street without the roar of traffic to guide them. A judge has ordered NYC to install audible crosswalk signals. (Times)
- That wave-soaked Chicago cyclist shows how climate change is wreaking havoc and how woefully unprepared we are. (Streetsblog Chicago)
- Some above-ground Muni trains are restarting in San Francisco, but the subway remains shuttered a month after maintenance issues forced its closure. (Chronicle)
- Dallas’ first-ever transportation director, Michael Rogers, who designed the city’s first comprehensive mobility plan, a Vision Zero implementation plan and improvements to I-30, is leaving for a new job. (D Magazine)
- Portland is testing cargo e-bikes specifically designed for municipal employees to haul things like landscaping equipment. (Smart Cities Dive)
- Chattanooga is using artificial intelligence to create a more efficient transit system. (Government Technology)
- A New Jersey Transit app will wake you up from your nap and keep you from missing your stop. (Star-Ledger)
Blake Aued has been doing Streetsblog's daily national news digest for years. He's also an Atlanta Braves fan, which enrages his editor in New York.
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