Streetsblog

Wednesday’s Headlines to Make You Believe Again

Everyone is still digging through the awesomeness of President Biden's infrastructure plan. Plus other news of the day.

By Blake Aued

12:26 AM EDT on April 7, 2021

Cutting transit now risks courting a death spiral that would clog roads, slow down the economy and put climate change goals out of reach. (Time)
But then again, Charlottesville is using its federal stimulus funding to make transit fare-free for the next three years. (Planetizen)
As Streetsblog readers well know, advocates for cyclists and pedestrians are pushing the Federal Highway Administration to rewrite its uniform traffic manual to make streets safer, while opponents claim they’re simply trying to “cancel” drivers. (Roll Call)
Student loan debt is an issue that’s gotten a lot of attention lately, but consumers are also stressing out about how to pay their car notes. More than 9 percent of subprime borrowers are at least two months behind on their car payments. (Wall Street Journal)
Three Senate Democrats are pushing levies on overseas profits as an alternative to the corporate tax hike President Biden wants to use to fund the American Jobs Act. (Transport Topics)
The Bloomberg editorial board likes how the $2.3-trillion plan would “decarbonize” the economy, but doesn’t seem to understand that’s a main reason Republicans will never support it.
The rescue plan is an opportunity for D.C. newcomer Pete Buttigieg to build bridges of his own, too. (ABC News)
Cities should start treating e-scooters like an essential component of public transportation. (Greater Greater Washington)
As Streetsblog readers know, Portland groups filed a lawsuit seeking to force the FHWA to re-examine the Rose Quarter project’s impact on urban schools, housing and businesses. (Bike Portland)
Overhead or underground? That’s the choice Los Angeles planners face as they move ahead with transit along the infamous 405 freeway. (Archinect)
While decriminalizing jaywalking is great, San Francisco police hardly cite anyone for that anymore, and it does nothing to make streets safer for pedestrians (SF Examiner). The solution, then, is to also restore humans to the top of the hierarchy over cars, as New York’s legendary Gridlock Sam Schwartz wrote in a New York Daily News op-ed.
Candidates for Fort Worth mayor aren’t much interested in boosting funding for transit despite support from the vast majority of citizens. (Star-Telegram)
Uh, April fool’s? The D.C. Streetcar seems to have briefly forgotten that Bryce Harper plays for the Phillies now. Luckily, Twitter was there to catch the mistake. (Awful Announcing)

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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