Streetsblog

Thursday’s Headlines Head Toward the End of the Line

Taming dockless e-scooters, the benefits of the infrastructure and Build Back Better bills, Boston Mayor Wu's fare-free promise and more.

By Blake Aued

12:00 AM EST on December 9, 2021

Thursday’s Headlines Head Toward the End of the Line

E-scooter in San Francisco. Photo: Melanie Curry/Streetsblog CA

Equity is an emphasis for the Biden administration, but poor and minority communities could lack the connections to draw down infrastructure funds. (Washington Post)
Funding from the bipartisan infrastructure bill will allow cities to accelerate their Vision Zero plans (The Hill) and make transit stations accessible to the disabled (Pew Trusts).
The Build Back Better bill currently includes tax credits of up to $900 on e-bike purchases. (CNBC)
Instant-delivery warehouses could soon be taking over storefronts, clogging up streets and killing off sidewalk life in cities across the U.S. and Europe. (City Lab)
Congestion is back most everywhere else, but working from home is still leaving downtowns empty. (AMNY)
A carbon tax doesn’t have to disproportionately hit lower-income people if the revenue is redistributed. (Ars Technica)
Micro-mobility services like bike-shares and e-scooters are greener and cheaper than cars and improve congestion. (Eltis)
Scandinavian cities have figured out how to impose order on the chaotic dockless e-scooter industry. (Wired)
Besides all the problems with Tesla’s Autopilot we told you about yesterday, Elon Musk’s cars also let you play video games while you’re driving. (New York Times)
Newly elected Boston Mayor Michelle Wu promised fare-free transit, but she can’t do it without raising taxes or financial help from the state and the feds. “Free” won’t help riders if the system is infrequent and unreliable. (Grist)
Portland will break ground on nine bike and transit projects next year. (Bike Portland).
Dallas is considering a major overhaul of its decade-old bike master plan. (D Magazine)
Buffalo’s transit authority broke ground on a new electric bus charging station. (WGRZ)
Denver’s Regional Transportation District is seeking a developer to build condos on a parking lot it owns. (Denver Post)
The Pittsburgh city council voted to ban parking in bike lanes (Trib Live). Crazy that it was legal before.
Someone sabotaged a new bike lane in Cambridge with bricks and tacks, causing a cyclist to crash. (WHDH)