Streetsblog

Wednesday’s Headlines Want You Back

With the pandemic winding down, how can transit agencies bring riders back on board? They have plenty of creative ideas.

By Blake Aued

12:00 AM EDT on June 15, 2022

What trains looked like in the before times. Photo: Pacific Coast Highway/Wikimedia Commons

From reducing fares to extending service hours to gift-card giveaways, transit agencies are trying anything they can think of to lure back riders after the pandemic. (Pew Stateline)
The Washington Post interviewed Veronica Vanterpool, the newly appointed deputy director of the Federal Transit Administration, who plans to sell her car now that she’s moved from Delaware to D.C.
A shocking 70 percent of pedestrians killed by drivers in Portland are unhoused, a problem that appears to be nationwide, although accurate figures aren’t always kept. (Streetsblog USA)
Seattle transit ridership is climbing back up, prompted at least in part by high gas prices. (Seattle Transit Blog)
The Massachusetts legislature passed a $350 million transportation bill that includes $30 million for complete streets and $25 million for buses. (The Center Square)
The Charlotte Area Transit System is proposing a new route for the Silver Line it says would be cheaper and carry more riders. (WFAE)
Arizona transit is often inaccessible for people with disabilities, and the state should use federal funds to fix that. (Republic)
Carnage in the streets: A pickup truck driver who jumped the curb in Los Angeles injured nine people (CBS News). A speeding motorcyclist in upstate New York crashed into six people standing at the entrance to a bike path, killing two (Post-Star). And hundreds of people marched in Chicago to demand safer streets after drivers killed two toddlers (Block Club Chicago)
Downtown Denver pedestrians say they’re being “terrorized” by e-scooters on sidewalks. (Denver Post)
The Golden State Warriors’ Klay Thompson could afford any kind of car he wants, but he rides a bike to work. “I just love being on a bike,” the star shooting guard says. “It’s the best.” (NBA via Twitter)