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Friday’s Headlines Are About Elon-ed Out

The Tesla CEO's been making headlines lately for his hyperloop boondoggle, which he may or may not have proposed just to block high-speed rail.

By Blake Aued

12:00 AM EDT on August 12, 2022

Friday’s Headlines Are About Elon-ed Out

Tesla CEO Elon Musk. Image: Steve Jurvetson, CC

Author Paris Marx suggests that Elon Musk — who’s been in the news a lot lately, along with other tech tycoons, for their transportation boondoggles — only proposed the hyperloop to try to block California high-speed rail so he could sell more cars, and never intended to build it. (Jalopnik)
Elaine Chao, Donald Trump’s transportation secretary, met with the January 6 committee, possibly to talk about how she and other cabinet members considered removing him from office after the Capitol riot. (CNN)
More on the $2.2 billion in RAISE grants for infrastructure the U.S. DOT distributed for 166 projects. (Washington Post, Roll Call)
By offering fairness, value, simplicity and flexibility, fare-capping is a promising way to get more people to ride transit. (Metro Magazine)
Speeding drivers kill 10,000 people a year in the U.S. So if the government will put speed governors on scooters and e-bikes, why not on cars that can go well over 100 miles per hour? (City Lab)
Gas-tax holidays are regressive, likely to benefit oil and gas companies more than drivers, will drain government transportation coffers, and could result in shortages even if they were effective at driving down prices. (Bloomberg Law)
Improving transit could restore trust in big-city government. (Planetizen)
Tempe’s new streetcar is the latest of several Valley Metro extensions. (Arizona Republic)
The Charlotte Area Transit System is looking for input on a new light-rail station. (WCNC)
Anne Heche is under investigation for driving under the influence of drugs when the actress crashed into a Los Angeles house. She is currently in critical condition and not expected to survive. (TMZ)
Paris is set to become one of the top bike-friendly cities on the planet. (Momentum)

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.

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