Streetsblog

Tuesday’s Headlines Are Nice to Our Bus Drivers

Transit agencies are facing driver shortages, road rage is on the rise, the lowdown on speed humps and more headlines.

By Blake Aued

12:00 AM EST on December 7, 2021

Tuesday’s Headlines Are Nice to Our Bus Drivers

Photo by Shinobu from Pexels

Driver shortages are devastating transit agencies all over the U.S. as the pandemic and passengers’ rude behavior are pushing bus operators to quit or retire early (Human Transit). For example, Portland’s TriMet is reducing service on 20 bus lines because of a shortage of drivers (Oregon Public Broadcasting).
Guns and driving aren’t a good mix: Road rage incidents are spiking in the U.S. as more drivers get back in their cars. (The Economist; subscription required)
Speed humps do slow down drivers but aren’t always the best way to calm traffic. Bus and bike lanes, roundabouts and curb bump-outs work, too. (WBEZ)
Indianapolis has started work on the Purple Line, the city’s second bus rapid transit route. (Star)
Meanwhile, work continues on the other Purple Line in Maryland, where lawmakers hope to override Gov. Larry Hogan’s veto to help struggling businesses along the future light rail line. (Bethesda Magazine)
Pinellas County has completed the first station for Sunrunner, Tampa’s first bus rapid transit line. (St. Pete Catalyst)
Pittsburgh is seeking public input on plans to replace car lanes on Smithfield Street with a bus lane and wider sidewalks. (Post-Gazette)
New estimates say it will cost $2.4 billion to electrify Caltrain, almost a half a billion more than first reported. (San Mateo Daily Journal)
Lost power due to a severed cable caused a Seattle light-rail train to get stuck in a tunnel last week. (KIRO)
Plans call for Charlotte’s light rail system to extend to a suburb 29 miles away, but Indian Trail isn’t sure they want it. (WFAE)
ABC 7 examines why L.A.’s streetcar system was dismantled, and a Star-Tribune podcast looks at the role of organized crime in the demise of Twin Cities streetcars.
Billionaires are chartering more jets to avoid bad publicity over carbon emissions while also avoiding mingling with the masses on commercial flights. (New York Post)
Tax breaks for company cars are the third rail of Belgian politics. It goes against the country’s green climate goals but is supported by the rich and powerful who benefit. (Politico)

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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