Tuesday’s Headlines Are Down in the Flood
Elon Musk said something dumb again, this time about how tunnels are somehow waterproof. Plus, why fare-free transit isn't as green as you think.
By
Blake Aued
12:00 AM EDT on April 26, 2022
- Fare-free transit is more equitable and boosts ridership, but may not have much impact on climate change. That’s because the ridership gains from going fare-free mostly come from people who would have walked, biked or stayed home, rather than driven. (City Lab)
- A lack of transit investment means that average people must pay more for transportation. (Government Technology)
- Safer streets not only save lives, but improve the quality of life. (World Economic Forum)
- Walking can be faster than driving—if you count the amount of time you have to spend working to pay for the car and the gas. (Arch Daily)
- Austin’s Project Connect provides lessons for other communities that are about to see a major influx of infrastructure funding. (Eno Center for Transportation)
- Vancouver, Washington, light-rail riders are excited about the new I-5 bridge to Portland (KPTV), but Bike Portland is critical of the route, which avoids downtown.
- Memphis public transportation advocates say they aren’t seeing results from an influx of funding that was meant to beef up service in low-income neighborhoods. (Action News 5)
- Denver advocates are pushing for an initiative creating an annual property fee to fund sidewalk construction. (Westword)
- San Diego’s last surviving pandemic-era “slow street” is under threat. (Union-Tribune)
- Indianapolis cyclists are fighting back against drivers who block bike lanes. (WRTV)
- This Twitter account reminds users of all the bike projects that Nashville isn’t building. (Scene)
- Elon Musk thinks subway tunnels don’t flood. Tell that to people in New York City, or Berlin, or Paris, or Mumbai, or Toronto … (Gizmodo)
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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