Streetsblog

Monday’s Headlines to Really Get This Thing Started

Yes, today's headlines feature Elon Musk. But lots of other news, too!

By Blake Aued

12:16 AM EDT on May 10, 2021

Mean green? The growing demand for lithium to produce electric car batteries is leaving Native American communities with contaminated groundwater and piles of toxic waste. (New York Times)
Individual EVs are problematic, but transitioning to emissions-free buses in the U.S. would take a mere $56 billion to $86 billion (Mass Transit Mag). In related news, Charlotte launched an electric bus pilot program (Cities Today).
The U.S. heavily subsidizes driving rather than requiring drivers to pay the full cost of their pollution and climate change impact on society. (Frontier Group)
Unsurprisingly, rural states like Alabama and Montana are the most dependent on cars. (Global Trade Mag)
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg highlighted Pittsburgh’s crumbling bridges during an appearance with other Pennsylvania elected officials. (Post-Gazette)
One-third of Washington state residents would be unwilling to pay a nickel more for gas even if it meant better air quality. (KING)
Kansas City is the latest jurisdiction to repeal its jaywalking law because it’s disproportionately enforced against people of color. (Star)
Two drivers struck and killed famed Chicago architect Helmut Jahn while he was riding his bike. (Tribune)
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s rollback of COVID-19 regulations has left St. Petersburg’s sidewalk cafes in limbo. (Tampa Bay Times)
San Antonio turned over its nonprofit bike-share operation to a for-profit company that’s raising prices. (SA Report)
A reader chided the San Jose Mercury News for going too easy on a driver who fell asleep while parked in a bike lane.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s widely panned appearance hosting “Saturday Night Live” was nothing but a marketing ploy (The Wrap). And it didn’t even work! After he hyped the cryptocurrency dogecoin, then admitted it’s a “hustle” (Rolling Stone), the price fell 30 percent (CNBC).