Monday’s Headlines to Celebrate Presidents Day

By Blake Aued

12:01 AM EST on February 15, 2021

Is it finally Infrastructure Week? President Biden is meeting with senators to discuss a spending package (Washington Post). And transit agencies will need more federal funding to buy them time to turn around the pandemic-related drop in ridership (Fast Company).
The Biden administration can empower cities to make small changes that will add up to make a greener and more equitable country. (City Monitor)
Uber and Lyft are still losing billions of dollars, although slightly fewer billions than in 2019. (The Verge)
A bill introduced by Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon) would restore tax credits for bike and transit commuters. (Bicycle Retailer)
The University of Minnesota is developing a cellphone app to help blind and visually impaired people safely cross the street (unfortunately, the app does not get rid of cars). (Governing)
Californians are moving to Texas and bringing with them radical liberal demands like better transit. (Texas Monthly)
An Oregon bill would effectively scuttle Portland’s plans to use congestion pricing to reduce the number of cars driving on the city’s freeways. (Willamette Week)
The Southwest Light Rail Line in Minneapolis is not going to open by its target date of 2023. (Sun Sailor)
Some of Muni’s light rail lines in the Bay Area are scheduled to reopen in May after being shut down for a year. (San Francisco Chronicle)
One of Elon Musk’s tunnels is a poor replacement for the L.A. Gold Line, which has been caught up in red tape. (Jalopnik)
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s proposed budget would cut almost all of the state’s already-meager funding for transit agencies. (Cleveland Plain Dealer)
Washington, D.C. transportation journalist Gordon Chaffin defends the use of cameras to catch drivers who roll through stop signs after the website Defector criticized them as revenue-generating devices rather than an effort to protect pedestrians.
Toronto residents who ditched transit for Uber and Lyft accounted for 31 million lost transit trips in 2019 and cost the system $76 million in farebox revenue, according to a new report. (CBC)
During the pandemic, many African cities have banned the private minibuses and motorbikes that make up much of their transit. This will give them an opportunity to create a more reliable and efficient system. (Wired)

Blake Aued

Monday’s Headlines to Celebrate Presidents Day

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