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Thursday’s Headlines Are Always at Your Back

Former basketball star Shawn Bradley was a victim of traffic violence. Plus, the latest on paying for infrastructure, the future of Amtrak and more.

By Blake Aued

12:01 AM EDT on March 18, 2021

Senate Democrats are considering taxes on carbon and truck mileage to pay for infrastructure. (Politico)
Road and transit maintenance projects create more jobs than building new highways. (Transportation for America)
In an interview with Slate, Amtrak CEO William J. Flynn says more frequent service between growing areas that are too close to fly between — like Atlanta and Nashville — would be a big hit, but he won’t cut money-losing routes to pay for it because so many places are reliant on them.
Curbside bus lanes are too easy to block, and not even cameras seem to work. (Reorientations)
While it’s not specifically about transportation, a Washington Post editorial about overreliance on police reminded us that much of the police violence against African Americans starts with a traffic stop.
Former NBA player Shawn Bradley was left paralyzed when a driver hit him while he was riding his bike near his Utah home in January. A Wednesday announcement by the Dallas Mavericks said he plans to become an advocate for bike safety. (ESPN)
Massachusetts’ congressional delegation blasted the state’s transit agency for cutting service despite receiving federal aid. (Boston Globe)
Bills to lower penalties for fare evasion and put unarmed safety officials on trains to assist the homeless have bipartisan support in Minnesota. (Star Tribune)
Houston residents are working with the city government to create pop-up bike lanes where the official ones dead-end. (Chronicle)
Charleston activists are pushing even harder for safer streets after learning that South Carolina is fourth in the nation for pedestrian deaths. (Post and Courier)
A Virginia bill allowing speed limits as low as 15 miles per hour would save lives. (Mercury)
E-scooters are back in Birmingham with new regulations. (Bham Now)
Anchorage mayoral candidates weigh in on transportation. (Daily News)
The small Georgia town of Valdosta is finally starting a transit service, 20 years after it became eligible for federal funds. (Daily Times)
Streetcars have been part of Tampa’s identity for more than 120 years. (Fox 13)

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.

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