Streetsblog

Friday’s Headlines Herald the Weekend

Higher fuel efficiency rules, a double standard for roads and transit, and a loophole for low- over no-emissions buses.

By Blake Aued

12:01 AM EDT on August 20, 2021

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration may impose higher penalties on automakers that don’t meet gas mileage requirements. Those standards had been postponed by the Trump administration. (Reuters)
Environmental reviews rarely delay roads, but it’s a different story when it comes to transit projects or congestion pricing. (Slate)
Another article says the infrastructure bill prioritizes highways over transit. (Smart Cities Dive)
Even rural areas are starting to get serious about road safety. (USA Today)
A provision in the infrastructure bill providing funding for low- and no-emissions buses mandates that a quarter of the money be spent on buses that pollute. (Washington Post)
Self-driving cars are still nowhere near a reality. (Jalopnik)
With its QLine streetcar, Detroit is just the latest city to experiment with fare-free transit in an effort to get more riders onboard. (Quartz)
Despite Seattle’s Vision Zero program, cyclists and pedestrians still account for 72 percent of traffic deaths. (Crosscut)
The Virginian-Pilot laments the failure of a 2016 referendum to expand Hampton Roads light rail.
A Boston survey said more people plan to bike or drive alone to work post-pandemic, while fewer plan to take transit. (WBUR)
Miami-Dade transportation planners continue to look into underground tunnels despite the area’s high water table. (Miami Today)
Honolulu’s transit agency is floating a tax on hotel rooms to cover a $3.6 billion light rail shortfall. (Civil Beat)
Atlanta’s first “transit-oriented” development just lost a restaurant because customers don’t feel safe in its massive parking deck. (11 Alive)
Atlanta sidewalks are too busted for delivery droids. (Atlanta Magazine)