Friday’s Headlines Are Big and Bold

Join us in July at the National Shared Mobility Summit — a month of virtual sessions on one topic: THE BIG SHIFT. Our existing physical, social, economic, technological and institutional infrastructure overwhelmingly favor private car ownership and private car use. This year, we ask, “How might we shift the the whole system!” Register now and save 25 percent with code BIGSHIFT21.

• Electric vehicles are better than gas-powered ones, but they’re still an environmental catastrophe. Instead of relying on EVs to halt climate change, we need to stop building everything around cars altogether. (Marker)
• As people form new travel habits post-pandemic, transit agencies should be offering free tickets, contactless ticketing, rewards programs and emergency rides to lure in riders. (City Lab)
• A $78 billion Senate transportation safety bill has been rolled into a larger surface transportation reauthorization. (Washington Post)
• A poll of 400 local government leaders found a stark divide between Democrats and Republicans on the importance of equity and whether transit should be included in an infrastructure bill. (Route Fifty)
• The Biden administration’s “buy American” policy drives up the cost of rail projects and doesn’t save many jobs. (Niskanen Center)
• Amazon committed $300 million to build affordable housing near transit stops in Seattle, Nashville and Washington, D.C. (Forbes)
• Wheelchair users filed a class-action lawsuit against the city of Baltimore alleging that its sidewalks don’t meet ADA requirements. (Sun)
• Even the Oregon DOT’s own contractor wants to reduce the width of the I-5 Rose Quarter project in Portland and build a cap over it. (Willamette Week)
• The Philadelphia Inquirer wants to expand speed cameras beyond Roosevelt Boulevard. In related news, the city of Albuquerque is considering installing speed cameras (Government Technology).
• Pittsburgh officials unveiled a new pedestrian safety action plan. (WTAE)
• The transportation innovation group Smart Columbus will continue its work despite a federal grant expiring. (Smart Cities Dive)
• Vermont bike shop owners expect the current bike boom to continue into next year. (Digger)
• With new bikes almost impossible to find during the pandemic, Outside magazine writes in praise of vintage bikes.