Streetsblog

Thursday’s Headlines Are Over the Hump

Instead of suspending gas taxes, why not address gas prices by subsidizing e-bikes? Plus, infrastructure funding continues to flow out of Washington.

By Blake Aued

12:00 AM EDT on March 17, 2022

Source: Max Pixel via Creative Commons

The Biden administration has allocated 99 percent of the $30 billion for transit in the American Rescue Plan (Smart Cities Dive) and recently awarded $409 million for buses and bus facilities to 70 communities (Mass Transit).
The head of the Federal Highway Administration is urging cities to bypass states and compete directly for federal grants. (Route Fifty)
Decoupled from social spending, history shows that Biden’s infrastructure push is bound to increase inequality through redlining and racist urban planning. (Washington Post)
More states are pushing to suspend gas taxes, even though it would only save drivers a few pennies a gallon and cost state governments hundreds of millions of dollars. (The Hill)
With gas prices up and workers commuting again, it should be the perfect time to shop for an electric car. Too bad supply chain issues mean the industry isn’t ready to meet demand. (Vice)
The government should be dealing with high gas prices by subsidizing e-bikes and cargo bikes to replace car trips. (City Lab)
With e-commerce booming, warehouses are taking over New York City neighborhoods. (NY Times)
Reckless driving has reached a crisis point in Milwaukee, which is developing a Vision Zero plan (WUWM). So is Tampa, where drivers kill 44 people a year (Free Press).
Westword used city data to pinpoint the Denver neighborhoods with the most car crashes.
The Pittsburgh Port Authority is seeking $65 million to replace a 119-year-old rail bridge. (Post-Gazette)
The Minnesota legislature approved an audit of the over-budget Southwest Line in Minneapolis. (Star)
A contractor’s lawsuit could delay an Orange County, California streetcar. (OC Register)
The Charlotte Observer published a guide to the city’s LYNX light rail system.
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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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