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Monday’s Headlines Are in the Mail

12:00 AM EST on February 7, 2022

    • Democrats are calling on Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to resign over his multibillion-dollar purchase of gas-guzzling new mail trucks (New York Times). The new trucks get less than 9 miles per gallon (Ars Technica) and pressure is mounting to buy electric vehicles instead (Green Car Reports).
    • Transit ridership is down by half since before the pandemic, while traffic deaths are up 27 percent. (The Guardian)
    • Traffic fines should be tied to income, since a ticket doesn't really affect a wealthy person, but for someone with a lower income the cost could be catastrophic. In Europe, fines range from less than $10 to six figures. (The Atlantic)
    • Congress' failure to agree on a one-year spending bill could tie up $40 billion in infrastructure funds. (Route Fifty)
    • Fraudsters could siphon off up to 10 percent of the $1.2 trillion infrastructure act. (Pew Trusts)
    • The U.S. DOT is releasing nearly $5 billion in formula funding for transit. (Railway Age)
    • Jalopnik takes down an NYT column about a road trip in a self-driving car that, in reality, doesn't even remotely drive itself.
    • Seven out 10 pedestrians Portland drivers killed last year were homeless, and deaths are continuing to trend upward in 2022. (Oregonian)
    • Massachusetts will get about $9.5 billion for transportation from the federal infrastructure law. (NBC Boston)
    • Washington, D.C. announced plans to double its 24 miles of protected bike lanes, starting with 10 this year. (WaPost)
    • A Utah lawmaker is proposing a carbon tax that would fund fare-free transit, among other things. (Fox 13)
    • Charlotte needs regional transportation planning but can't quite figure out how to get there. (UNC Charlotte Urban Institute)
    • Omaha businesses are excited that a new streetcar could bring more people downtown, but worried about rising rents. (WOWT)
    • A Minneapolis cyclist is trying to get his local NPR station to air bike commuting reports along with traffic. (MinnPost)

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