Streetsblog

Monday’s Headlines Are in the Mail

Why is the post office buying thousands of gas-guzzling trucks when it could buy electric ones? Plus, more bad news about transit ridership and pedestrian deaths.

By Blake Aued

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)

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.

Streetsblog

Streetsblog has migrated to a new comment system. New commenters can register directly in the comments section of any article. Returning commenters: your previous comments and display name have been preserved, but you'll need to reclaim your account by clicking "Forgot your password?" on the sign-in form, entering your email, and following the verification link to set a new password — this is required because passwords could not be carried over during the migration. For questions, contact tips@streetsblog.org.