Streetsblog

Tuesday’s Headlines Are #TeamTrain

Yes, trains are a better way to commute than ... whatever the buzzword for "helicopter" is these days. Plus, the death of intercity bus service and more.

By Blake Aued

12:00 AM EDT on April 19, 2022

The future? Oy. Uber

Rural and small-town residents are being left behind as the pandemic kills off private intercity and charter bus companies. (Stateline)
In the early days of the pandemic, before mask mandates or ventilation measures, it appears that COVID did spread on buses and trains, according to a Georgia Tech study that compared federal travel data to confirmed cases in 52 metro areas.
Even the aviation website AVweb agrees that trains are a better way to move people around cities than airborne Ubers.
Just giving pedestrians a brief head start at signalized crosswalks can cut close calls by over 40 percent, data from Bellevue, Washington shows. (GCN)
Electric cargo bikes are becoming a popular way for New Yorkers to carry their kids to school. (NY Times)
Amtrak is seeking to use eminent domain to take over and renovate D.C.’s Union Station. (Washington Post)
Colorado Democrats now want to “pause” the gas fee they implemented just last year to pay for transit, environmental mitigation and other transportation programs. (Colorado Public Radio)
A $13 billion Charlotte regional transit referendum is unlikely to come together in time for a November vote. (WCNC)
A $750 million infrastructure package is up for a vote in Atlanta next month. (Urbanize Atlanta)
Commuters want New Jersey Transit to restore five bus routes to Philadelphia. (NJ.com)
A Kansas City study is the first step toward prioritizing transit-oriented development along bus lines. (KCUR)
San Francisco is lowering speed limits to 20 miles per hour on another dozen streets. (Chronicle)
The Colorado town of Cripple Creek is dreaming of a $75 million vintage streetcar system. (Mountain Jackpot)