Streetsblog

Wednesday’s Headlines

Will Republicans go along with Joe Biden's transportation agenda? Plus, Uber abandons robot taxis and more headlines.

By Blake Aued

9:49 PM EST on December 9, 2020

Democrats will be pushing to include transit and green energy—not just roads and bridges—in an infrastructure package, but Republicans may not go along. (The Hill)
Uber is outsourcing its efforts to create a self-driving taxi—once thought to be the path to profitability by eliminating labor costs, but which turned into a money pit. (New York Times)
Transit improvements raise the value of nearby property by more than it costs to make those improvements, and capturing that value through a “land gain tax” on real estate profits could provide better transit and more affordable housing. (Common Ground California)
Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan—who regulated ride-hailing and expanded transit but also made frustrating decisions like dragging her feet on bike-lane projects—won’t run for re-election. (Crosscut)
Pushback from Boston Mayor Marty Walsh and others led the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority to delay a vote on service cuts. (NBC 10)
While the situation isn’t quite as urgent as in cities like New York or Washington, D.C., Michigan transit officials are worried about what happens when their federal coronavirus funding runs out next year. (Spartan Newsroom)
Virginia officials say they will continue to prioritize transit and are optimistic Congress will pass a relief package. (WTOP)
The Orlando City Council will vote next week on extending its e-scooter pilot program. (Sentinel)
Texas is welcoming Tesla by slapping a $200 annual fee on electric vehicles. (Austin American-Statesman)
Hong Kong authorities are looking for relatives of Benjamin Restrepo, a Colombian-born American who was killed by a swerving fire-truck driver earlier this week. (Transit Jam)
Out of Australia, but you could apply it to anywhere: Reclaiming streets for people, not free parking, is what will help retailers recover from the pandemic. (The Conversation)
Even Monopoly players should have to pay for parking, according to author and UCLA urban planning professor Donald Shoup. (ITS International)

Blake Aued

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.

Streetsblog

Streetsblog has migrated to a new comment system. New commenters can register directly in the comments section of any article. Returning commenters: your previous comments and display name have been preserved, but you'll need to reclaim your account by clicking "Forgot your password?" on the sign-in form, entering your email, and following the verification link to set a new password — this is required because passwords could not be carried over during the migration. For questions, contact tips@streetsblog.org.

More from Streetsblog USA

Where the Battles Against Harmful Highways and Hyper-Scale Data Centers Collide

Hyperscale AI data centers and highways are both harmful forms of fossil fuel infrastructure that get built without much community input — and it's time to fight back against both, one of our favorite podcasters argues.