Streetsblog

Thursday’s Headlines Have Some Good News

The U.S. and global outlook may be bleak, but many cities are embracing better transportation policies.

By Blake Aued

12:01 AM EDT on September 2, 2021

Climate change plans often overrate electric vehicles by ignoring the pollution from generating electricity, overstating the speed by which EVs will replace fossil fuels, and underestimating peoples’ desire for cars. (Planetizen)
Despite a recent survey’s findings to the contrary, Wired thinks the 15-minute city is finally having its moment.
Cool grandad Donald Shoup does his thing again — shaming cities over free parking. (Bloomberg)
DART’s overhaul will mean most bus riders will experience fewer waits and easier transfers. (Dallas Morning News)
The Texas DOT should invest its I-45 funds in transit and bike lanes. (Houston Chronicle)
Could Elon Musk build one of his tunnels under water-logged and unstable South Florida? Maybe. But at the very least it would be a lot harder and cost a lot more than he’s letting on. (Smart Cities Dive)
D.C. Metro train operators are prone to fatigue. (Washington Post)
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot is turning to Uber and Lyft after public school bus drivers quit en masse over a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for city employees. (Sun-Times)
Charlotte’s Gold Line streetcar is officially open. (WFAE)
This is a great time to extend Minneapolis’ Midtown Greenway. (MinnPost)
Pittsburgh is now allowing e-bikes on buses and trains. (City Paper)
A Phoenix city council member is calling for fare-free transit. (KJZZ)
Clearwater, Florida, scuttled a development deal because city officials said it had too much parking. (Tampa Bay Times)
Birmingham’s transit authority has a new CEO. (Al.com)
North Dakota police are cracking down on distracted driving this month. (Bismarck Tribune)
Here’s a cool vision of what passenger rail in Washington state could look like. (The Urbanist)