Streetsblog

Monday’s Headlines Are Picking a Fight

While House Dems try to fend off the road-building lobby, Uber's CEO wants you to be able to get a piano delivered in an hour and a half.

By Blake Aued

12:01 AM EDT on July 19, 2021

Congressional Democrats are girding for battle with state DOTs and the powerful road-building lobby over a climate and infrastructure bill that dramatically shifts the balance of transportation power away from driving. (Politico)
Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi gets the typical Maureen Dowd/New York Times Style section treatment with a fawning profile that portrays him as a great dad but does little to address his company’s shoddy safety, environmental or labor practices.
Originally envisioned as an on-demand carpool service that later evolved into taxis hailed by apps, Lyft is bringing back its ride-sharing option. (CNN)
Infrastructure that ignores people and bikes in favor of cars is a big contributor to inequality in public health. (Forbes)
Researchers know that designing cities around cars is bad for human health, but which less auto-centric model is best is still up for debate. (Fast Company)
A new University of Texas study lays out ways transit agencies can improve equity.
Up to 30 percent of driver-pedestrian crashes in Washington, D.C. go unreported, and that percentage increases in predominantly Black wards. (City Lab)
The Maryland DOT says it needs to cut five transit projects worth $1.2 billion to offset the loss of public-private toll collections on freeways. (Washington Post)
Seattle planners are proposing diverting half of revenue from sources like a vehicle-miles tax and impact fees toward transit, with just a seventh going toward roads. (Washington Policy)
Not only is Charlotte spending $6 billion on a light rail line to the airport, which won’t help the vast majority of transit riders, but the line won’t even go all the way to the airport. (WFAE)
Universal Studios is fighting Brightline’s plans to bring passenger rail to Orlando. (Sentinel)
Problems with Philadelphia’s electric buses are raising questions about whether the technology is viable yet. (WHYY)
Florida Man, meet Louisiana Man: This guy was so high on life that he leapt off a bridge to escape a traffic jam. (Jalopnik)

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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