Streetsblog

Thursday’s Headlines Are Tearing it All Down

EVs are dangerous to cyclists and pedestrians and maybe not all that great for the planet. And a driverless car goes all "Midnight Run."

By Blake Aued

12:00 AM EDT on April 14, 2022

Thursday’s Headlines Are Tearing it All Down

Photo: No More Freeways PDX

More evidence that, while electric vehicles may be better for the planet, their heavy batteries make them more dangerous for cyclists and pedestrians (Bloomberg). And how beneficial for the environment are they, anyway? One study found that EVs might actually increase emissions in the long run, because drivers who qualify for tax credits don’t drive them enough to offset the damage of manufacturing them (Streetsblog USA).
The 80-year-old promise of a future utopia dependent on cars will never arrive. (Rice-Kinder Institute)
Distracted driving is making our roads more dangerous. (Planetizen)
Tearing down urban freeways is one thing, but what do cities replace them with? If it’s a six-lane surface road, like I-375’s replacement in Detroit, how much good does it do? (Fast Company)
Uber and Lyft surge pricing drastically raised the cost of a ride in the aftermath of a mass shooting on the New York City subway. The companies say they’re offering refunds. (CBS News)
Everything is bigger in Texas, and that goes for Houston’s highways, too. (U.S. PIRG)
The L.A. Metro is using traffic cameras to catch drivers blocking bus lanes, deciding that the right of bus riders to get where they’re going is more important than the privacy of people who break the law. (Governing)
Philadelphia officials are pushing the Pennsylvania legislature to make it easier to build protected bike lanes. (WHYY)
Boise’s bike-share program fizzled out during the pandemic but is now returning. (Idaho Statesman)
Dayton is doubling its e-bike inventory. (Daily News)
One of GM Cruise’s autonomous Chevy Bolts, well, bolted from a San Francisco cop who pulled over the driverless car (Electrek). The jury is out on whether this makes AI’s smarter or dumber than previously thought.