Tuesday’s Headlines Mean We’re Almost There

There are still a few days left on our December Donation Drive, so, um, you know what to do. Thanks!

• Municipal transit agencies aren’t the only ones suffering during the pandemic. Long-haul bus companies like Greyhound, charter buses and ferries have also seen significant downturn in ridership. (NPR)
• The New Republic suggests that the federal government buy every American an e-scooter — the Vespa-style kind, not those little razor scooters — because, according to one study, they’re one of the greenest modes of transportation around.
• Minimum parking requirements are driving up housing costs and turning cities into storage areas for cars. (Banker & Tradesman)
• The biggest flaw in delivery apps’ algorithms is that they only really work when the driver knows the area, like where a protest shut down streets and which neighborhoods have bike parking. (Slate)
• NBC News is the latest outlet to delve into transit’s COVID crisis.
• A Bay Area transit agency halted the layoff of 146 employees in anticipation of a new round of stimulus funding. (San Francisco Chronicle)
• Washington, D.C. is doing a study on whether sending messages to speeding drivers gets them to slow down. (WTOP)
• A new traffic management system in Columbus aims to reduce travel times and make streets safer. (Dispatch)
• San Jose Spotlight profiles Ron Diridon, the father of Silicon Valley’s transit system.
• Want to make a green New Year’s resolution? Bike more, drive less and advocate for Complete Streets. (Orlando Sentinel)
• In an excerpt from the new book “Driven: The Race to Create the Autonomous Car,” Business Insider chronicles a feud within Google that led a top engineer to jump ship to Uber.