Tuesday’s Headlines Now that Summer is Really Here
Some good news for public transit (though not from Senate Republicans). Plus all the other news.
By
Blake Aued
12:01 AM EDT on June 1, 2021
- The New York Times has an interactive feature on how urban freeways scarred U.S. cities in the mid-20th century. As those freeways reach the end of their lifespans, some cities are considering removing them, including Rochester, New York (City Newspaper). And buried in a massive Colorado transportation bill is $209 million for neighborhoods affected by freeway building (Governing).
- Senate Republicans’ latest counteroffer to President Biden’s infrastructure plan comes in at $928 billion. (CNBC)
- Politico brought together 12 leading transportation experts to discuss how transit agencies can recover from the pandemic.
- A double windfall of a rebound in local tax revenue and federal aid gives cities an opportunity to fix failing infrastructure. City Lab took a road trip to identify pressing projects in 12 cities.
- Virginia’s transportation secretary wants to put rail on even footing with roads when it comes to funding. (Washington Post)
- Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan vetoed bills requiring the state to catch up on a backlog of transit maintenance and start marketing the Purple Line. (WTOP)
- The Los Angeles Metro is launching a fare-free pilot program in August, but school districts that would save on transporting students are reluctant to share the costs. (LAist)
- Richmond is upgrading its bike-share, and residents of public housing will be able to get free memberships. (Times-Dispatch)
- Without late-night transit service, Washington, D.C. service industry workers are being hit hard by the recent spike in Uber and Lyft fares. (WJLA)
- Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock joined forces with Atlanta transit agency MARTA’s CEO to rally support for transit funding. (Streetsblog)
- A speeding driver seriously killed a San Francisco resident in May, and days later a speed camera bill stalled in the California legislature. (Examiner)
- Seattle parking was dirt cheap during the pandemic, but now it’s going back up again. (KIRO)
- E-scooter ridership is skyrocketing on Hartford’s month-old system. (NBC Connecticut)
- East Providence is getting its first protected bike lane. (Boston Globe)
- Sidewalk repairs and new bike lanes are on tap in Grand Rapids. (MLive)
- A New Hampshire bike group is setting up 11 bike repair stations around Concord. (Monitor)
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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