Monday’s Headlines Can’t See You Up Here

By Blake Aued

12:00 AM EDT on March 21, 2022

Photo: Angie Schmitt

You could pack 578 preschoolers into the blind spots of an F-150 (Streetsblog USA), but don't expect the trend toward bigger, taller and deadlier vehicles to reverse anytime soon, because automakers are convinced vehicles like the 9,000-pound electric Hummer are what consumers want (Auto Week).
Transit agencies that went fare-free for public health reasons during the pandemic are now finding that the policy can help them win back riders, spurring a new emphasis on equity. (Thompson Reuters)
Despite the Biden administration's talk about Complete Streets, it's still largely letting states set their own goals for pedestrian deaths, per Trump-era standards, and won't sanction them even if more people are killed. (Washington Post)
The future of transit is mobility hubs that integrate multiple modes of transportation. (Government Technology)
With gas prices averaging $4.20 a gallon (nice!), as CNBC reiterates, suspending the 18-cent federal gas tax won't put much of a dent in the price at the pump.
Universities are at the forefront of the biking boom, with more than 200 earning bike-friendly status. (University Business)
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is in favor of Texas high-speed rail but ambivalent about widening I-35 in Austin. (KHOU)
The Washington state legislature approved $150 million in funding toward a Portland-Seattle-Vancouver high-speed rail line. That's just a small portion of the overall $17 billion price tag, though. (Daily Hive)
Gov. Charlie Baker has proposed a $9.7 billion transportation bond bill that would help Massachusetts leverage federal grants for transit. (Streetsblog MASS)
Detroit is moving forward with plans to turn I-375 downtown into a surface boulevard. (WDET)
The $1.5 trillion spending bill President Biden signed last week includes an extension for Milwaukee streetcar funding. (Urban Milwaukee)
Pittsburgh is rolling out a new bike-share fleet that includes additional stations and e-bikes. (Tribune-Review)
Nashville officials think e-bikes are going to take cycling mainstream. (Government Technology)
Asheville is building a $3 million sidewalk in a formerly rural area that's now residential due to infill development. (Citizen Times)
The D.C. suburb of Fairfax County, Virginia, is considering easing minimum parking requirements. (WTOP)
That silly D.C. trucker convoy was stymied last weekend by a one-person Critical Mass, a single cyclist taking the lane. Not all heroes wear capes. (Twitter)

Blake Aued

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