Thursday’s Headlines Want Better Transit

By Blake Aued

12:00 AM EDT on September 29, 2022

Why can’t we have nice things? Photo credit: Taiwan High-Speed Rail Corporation.

Due in large part to its decentralized government and partisan divide, the U.S. has one of the worst public transportation systems in the developed world, and it's unlikely to get much better. (Investment Monitor)
U.S. transit projects continue to suffer from high costs and delays compared to other countries. (Eno Center for Transportation)
The European Union is calling for action to eliminate child road deaths — but the problem in the U.S. is even worse. (Traffic Technology Today)
Downtown traffic is still down from the pandemic, which, counterintuitively, could be one reason why pedestrian deaths remain stubbornly high. (Streetsblog)
With urban real estate prices rising and the desire for walkable neighborhoods growing, developers are buying up and redeveloping car dealerships. (New York Times)
Flying taxis could soon wreak havoc unless cities prepare for them. (Smart Cities Dive)
Some drivers for Uber's courier service are suspicious they're being used as drug mules. (NBC News)
Improvements at high-crash intersections have reduced Austin traffic deaths by 31 percent. (CBS Austin)
The Colorado DOT has a shortage of 300 workers. It can hire people to fill the positions, but they can't find affordable housing. (Colorado Public Radio)
Protected bike lanes in North Kansas City slowed down speeding drivers and doubled the number of cyclists. (Smart Cities Dive)
Savannah's Vision Zero program aims to eliminate traffic deaths by 2027. (Morning News)
Cruise self-driving cars keep randomly stalling out in San Francisco. (Jalopnik)
Seven cyclists share tips for going car-free in auto-centric Los Angeles. (L.A. Times)