Streetsblog

Thursday’s Headlines Are Too Wide

Streets take up too much space, Elon Musk's tunnels are a joke, the days of cheap Uber rides are over and more.

By Blake Aued

12:01 AM EDT on June 10, 2021

Almost a fifth of cities’ land is taken up by streets. That’s valuable property that could be used for bike lanes, transit, greenspace or housing. (City Lab)
Republicans in Congress want to spend less on transit and more on roads. Democrats want to spend more on transit and less on roads. (Smart Cities Dive)
We’ve all been yearning for a return to normalcy, but that shouldn’t apply to traffic congestion, which steals your time, wastes your money and pollutes your air. (Commonwealth)
Tech companies like Uber and Bird have long been subsidized by Silicon Valley venture capitalists, but now they’re jacking up prices as they aim for profitability. (New York Times)
File under: Ya think? Experts are skeptical of Elon Musk’s Tesla-ferrying tunnels. (NBC News)
Human Transit‘s Jarrett Walker reviews former Streetsblog editor Angie Schmitt’s book “Right of Way: Race, Class and the Silent Epidemic of Pedestrian Deaths in America.”
The Texas DOT now wants to bury part of I-30 through Dallas to reconnect neighborhoods, but still plans to widen the freeway to 12 lanes. (D Magazine)
Facing high fares, cost overruns and complaints about underserved communities, Denver’s new transit chief has her work cut out for her. (The Denver Channel)
Seattle transit ridership grew 20 percent before plunging 70 percent during the pandemic. Will commuters get back on the bus? (Crosscut)
Boise might be the first major city to mandate protected bike lanes on arterial roadways. (Boise Dev)
Nashville needs a dedicated source of funding for transit. (Tennessean)
A public health crisis is playing out on Minneapolis trains and platforms. (KSTP)
Suburban car commuters are rallying against plans to tear down the Skyway, a tall freeway bridge in downtown Buffalo. (WGRZ)
People in Las Vegas who get hit by a driver while crossing one of the city’s nine-lane intersections are apt to be sent to traffic school for pedestrians to avoid paying a $250 jaywalking fine. (The 74)