Monday’s Headlines to Begin a Busy Week
- Now that President Biden has introduced the American Jobs Plan, his job is to go out and sell it (Politico). Republicans have already decided they oppose the plan, but they haven't settled on a strategy to try to turn people against it (MSNBC).
- Biden highlighted the Claiborne Expressway, which cut off the Treme neighborhood from the rest of New Orleans 50 years ago. The Washington Post delved into the story.
- Smart Cities Dive has a breakdown of what's in the plan, including $85 billion for transit, $80 billion for Amtrak and $20 billion for Vision Zero programs.
- Local news outlets are starting to look into what the $2-trillion plan could mean for their communities. Washington Sen. Maria Cantwell wants to separate rail crossings (Seattle Times). Philadelphians envision new trolleys, electric buses and safer streets (WHYY). Pittsburgh officials are behind the plan (WESA), and they're excited in Chicago, too (Reader), but it drew mixed reviews in San Antonio (KSAT).
- A judge ordered Uber to pay $1.1 million to a blind California woman who was denied rides by drivers more than a dozen times. (Market Watch)
- Cities should start planning to create space on sidewalks for delivery drones, well, they should if you believe Government Technology.
- Due to more speeding and reckless driving during the pandemic, drivers killed 17 people in Minneapolis last year, the most since 2013. (Star Tribune)
- Even the Texas DOT is considering doing away with the 85th percentile rule, which sets speed limits at unsafe levels. (Farm and City)
- Bus lanes mysteriously appeared in updated plans for the Rose Quarter project in Portland. That might seem like a good idea, but the problem is no one asked for them, so it comes off like just an attempt to justify widening I-5 to 10 lanes. (Willamette Week) Also from WW: A consensus is emerging to cap I-5 to stitch neighborhoods back together.
- The newly passed Georgia state budget includes $6 million for a new transit station near Microsoft's planned Atlanta campus. (Business Chronicle)
- European cities that added bike infrastructure during the pandemic saw more riding and fewer emissions. (New York Times)
- "Dirty Jobs" host Mike Rowe's new show isn't just sponsored by Big Oil — it's Big Oil propaganda. (Gizmodo)
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