Streetsblog

Friday’s Headlines Are Melting

A cross-Atlantic heat wave is affecting transit service. Worker shortages are, too.

By Blake Aued

12:00 AM EDT on July 22, 2022

Dustin Phillips

Temperatures soaring above 100 degrees are stressing transit systems in the U.S. and UK because rails can’t handle the heat (Bloomberg). And a lot of that heat in cities is due to cars, not even counting all the CO2 they pump into the air (Treehugger).
More than 70 percent of transit agencies have been forced to cut service by shortages of bus operators. (Streetsblog USA, Transit Center)
Lyft is laying off 60 people and closing its car-rental arm. (TechCrunch)
This will harsh your buzz: A new study found that fatal car crashes rose 4 percent in states that have legalized recreational marijuana. (Daily Beast)
A top Washington, D.C. official says the region should address traffic and equity by building more housing near jobs and transit. (Washington Post)
Amazon is halting construction on several office towers near Seattle, another sign that the work-from-home trend is here to stay and could turn transit and land use on their heads. (Seattle Times)
Providing up-to-date information and more reliable service, lowering fares and improving accessibility are four ways for the Philadelphia’s transit agency to boost ridership. (WHYY)
After the failure of the Durham-Orange light rail line, the North Carolina city now plans to spend $1.1 billion on transit by 2040, but mostly on buses. (Mass Transit Mag)
Austin has a new and improved park that not everyone can enjoy because of a sidewalk to nowhere. (KXAN)
Columbia, Missouri, residents are comparing their deadliest road to a NASCAR track. (Daily Tribune)
Portland’s Pedalpalooza celebrates the city’s beloved bike-lane art. (Bike Portland)

Blake Aued

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.

Streetsblog

Streetsblog has migrated to a new comment system. New commenters can register directly in the comments section of any article. Returning commenters: your previous comments and display name have been preserved, but you'll need to reclaim your account by clicking "Forgot your password?" on the sign-in form, entering your email, and following the verification link to set a new password — this is required because passwords could not be carried over during the migration. For questions, contact tips@streetsblog.org.