Friday’s Headlines Are Going Back to the Future

  • A hundred years ago, people went from town to town on electric trains called interurbans. The privately owned trains couldn’t compete with taxpayer-funded highways, but President Biden’s Amtrak investment could create something similar. (Bloomberg)
  • The Biden administration is restoring a rule President Trump had weakened requiring federal agencies to consider the impact on climate change when approving a project. (New York Times)
  • A Transit Center video delves into the legacy of racism in public transportation.
  • Bike shares are a cheap way to cut emissions and encourage people to get out of their cars. (Marketplace)
  • Sales of e-bikes rose 240 percent between July 2020 and July 2021. (Electrek)
  • Using AI at traffic lights would reduce emissions (Engadget) but so would, you know, driving less.
  • Houston transit ridership is down 40% since the start of the pandemic, but many essential workers continue to rely on it. (Houston Public Media)
  • Massachusetts lawmakers are considering using American Rescue Plan funds to lower transit fares. (Government Tech)
  • An abandoned Seattle streetcar project has reappeared in the city’s 2022 budget. (KING)
  • A Philadelphia council member wants to raise the fine for parking on a sidewalk. (Axios)
  • After Eugene lost its bike share, a nonprofit stepped in, and it’s now looking to establish bike shares in other Oregon cities. (Eugene Weekly)
  • Harford’s only bike shop is essential because many residents can’t afford cars. (Fox 61)
  • Charlotte Magazine interviewed former mayor and transportation secretary Anthony Foxx about resistance to the Gold Line project and his work at Lyft, which he sees as a complement to public transit.
  • A Paris suburb is using “noise radar” to ticket the drivers whose roaring motorcycles wake people up. (Reuters)
  • A Berlin petition seeks to ban cars from the city center. (The Guardian)

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