Monday’s Headlines, Like Transit Funds, Have Arrived
Image: Gage Skidmore, CC
- The U.S. DOT announced the distribution of $20 billion in transit funds, which the Biden administration called the largest investment in transit in history, up 58 percent over last year. (Progressive Railroading)
- A reduction in traffic enforcement during the pandemic is partly to blame for a 17 percent increase in traffic deaths during the first half of 2021 (Smart Cities Dive). The data points to a crisis for pedestrian safety (Streetsblog USA).
- A new study found that reckless drivers tend to have low levels of the stress hormone cortisol, meaning they show little response to what most people would consider a stressful activity, like driving 150 miles per hour. (Discover)
- The electric Hummer could help avert a climate crisis by converting some holdout drivers to electric vehicles, but the ginormous truck is still a hazard to pedestrians and no substitute for making walking, biking and taking transit easier. (The Guardian)
- Robin Hutcheson, the acting administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, has been nominated by President Biden to take over the position permanently. (Transport Topics)
- A $123 million project to remake K Street in Washington, D.C. with bike and bus lanes is nearing the end of the design phase. (Washington Post)
- Surprise, surprise: A proposed gondola system in West Seattle is not feasible, according to Sound Transit. (KING 5)
- San Antonio is moving forward with its first bus rapid transit line, thanks to a $158 million federal grant that will cover half the cost. (KSAT)
- Fare Free February was the Utah Transit Authority's busiest month in two years, with over 100,000 average daily riders, up 16 percent from January. (KSL)
- A gas-tax freeze would only save the average Illinois resident $15 a year. (News Channel 20)
- Drivers have killed 24 people in San Jose this year, triple the figure from this time in 2021. (Spotlight)
- Former Ohio State and current Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Dwayne Haskins was hit and killed by a dump-truck driver while attempting to cross a South Florida interstate on foot. His death is being investigated as a vehicular homicide. (ESPN)
- A newly elected Tampa city council member is focusing on Vision Zero and walkability. (WFTS)
- Misinformation is responsible for opposition to bike lanes on Indianola Avenue in Columbus, Ohio. (Dispatch)
- A California woman dubbed "Sidewalk Karen" has been charged with assault for pushing a 12-year-old boy who was riding his bike. (Inside Edition)
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