Streetsblog

Friday’s Headlines Are Big and Scary

Ford is still relying on absurdly huge fossil fuel-burning trucks to turn a profit. Plus, Democrats keep whiffing on climate change.

By Blake Aued

12:00 AM EDT on September 30, 2022

Not pictured: Upper-middle-class dad driving to work alone. Credit: Ford

The Inflation Reduction Act squandered an opportunity to reduce Americans’ dependence on cars and shortchanged issues like transit and land use that contribute to climate change. (Metropolis)
Autonomous vehicles could help vulnerable communities or reinforce inequality, depending on if and how they’re regulated. (Route Fifty)
Meet the latest behemoth truck: Ford’s Super Duty, a six-and-a-half-foot tall pickup with a gas engine nicknamed “Godzilla.” (Transport Topics)
California’s ban on parking mandates near transit is a sign that the automobile’s grip on the urban landscape is slipping. (Time)
Likewise, D.C.’s ban on dangerous right turns on red could also inspire reforms elsewhere. (Streetsblog USA)
Without protections for affordable housing and small businesses, Maryland’s Purple Line will bring gentrification around stations, according to a new study. (Washington Post)
Ann Arbor scrapped plans for a protected two-way cycle track on State Street, citing supply chain issues. (MLive)
The area around Richmond’s new baseball park will be a walkable “car-lite” neighborhood with limited parking and improved access to transit. (Greater Greater Washington)
An obscure Oregon committee made up of freight industry representatives has the power to decide the width of bike lanes and sidewalks. (Bike Portland)
TriMet’s new bus rapid transit in Portland isn’t all that rapid. (Willamette Week)
Montreal’s car-free streets provide health, economic and aesthetic benefits. (McGill Tribune)
Mexico City’s decision to shift public space away from cars to buses and parklets is creating more vibrant neighborhoods. (Governing)