Streetsblog

Tuesday’s Headlines CARE a Lot

But Congress didn't CARE enough about transit during the pandemic, it turns out. Money from federal COVID stimulus acts may not be enough to see some larger agencies through their ridership crisis.

By Blake Aued

12:00 AM EDT on September 27, 2022

Seattle voters approved a $1.5 billion transportation levy on Tuesday, one of several such referendums nationwide. SounderBruce, CC

The CARES Act, CARES II and the American Rescue Plan Act pumped $70 billion into U.S. transit agencies who struggled when farebox revenues declined by half during the pandemic. But the money wasn’t distributed evenly, with smaller agencies getting a bigger share— and now it’s starting to running out. (Eno Center for Transportation)
The L.A. Metro is hoping ridership returns to pre-pandemic levels by mid-2023, but for other cities like San Francisco, Chicago, New York and Atlanta, it’s likely to take years long. (Bloomberg)
A recent Vision Zero summit emphasized community input and designing streets to avoid driver errors. (Smart Cities Dive)
Office workers’ commutes are so miserable that they’re refusing to go back to their cubicles now that they know there’s an alternative. A free transit pass won’t convince them when the average one-way trip is 45 minutes by bus or 70 minutes by rail. (Washington Post)
Officials in the San Diego region voted to remove a per-mile road user charge from a $160 billion long-range transportation plan, leaving a $14 billion hole in the budget. (Union-Tribune)
A troublesome half-mile tunnel on Minneapolis’ 14-mile Southwest Line is the main reason why the new rail line hasn’t been completed yet. (MinnPost)
The D.C. Metro released a map of the Silver Line extension showing the locations of new stations. (WTOP)
Many Atlanta residents believe transit agency MARTA should extend light rail into underserved neighborhoods rather than the Beltline’s gentrified Eastside Trail, where people already walk and bike. (Urbanize Atlanta)
They may be electric, but it looks like China is about to repeat the United States’ mistake of turning into a car-dependent society. (New York Times)
France will spend $250 million on cycling infrastructure and lessons for children, but some advocates say 10 times as much is needed to meet demand. (Forbes)
Driving in Paris has fallen by half since 1990, thanks largely to the massive bike and pedestrian improvements made under Mayor Anne Hidalgo and her creation of a low-emissions zone. (Reasons to Be Cheerful)