Streetsblog

Friday’s Headlines Want to Go Fast

Where are the bullet trains we were promised in 1992? After all, it's not like electric trucks can't still run us over.

By Blake Aued

12:00 AM EDT on October 7, 2022

Japan's total metro lines are four times longer than the U.S., per 1 million people. Shilpy Arora

The high-speed rail future promised to Americans 30 years ago has yet to materialize, and it’s still going to be a long time coming. (Popular Science)
Transitioning to electric trucks could save 67,000 lives by improving air quality, according to the American Lung Association (CNN). But what about the thousands of lives lost to crashes because trucks are still on the road?
Uber’s former security chief was found guilty of hiding a hack that breached the data of 57 million users from government regulators. (New York Times)
Federal transportation officials are looking for innovation and safety when judging grant applications for an unprecedented influx of federal funding. (Smart Cities Dive)
It’s not just ungodly commutes that are causing workers to resist going back in-person. Lots of folks who are still working from home could easily walk to their offices. (Washington Post)
Commuter rail has generally been the last type of transit to recover from the pandemic, but ridership in Massachusetts is up to 76%. (CommonWealth)
Even Ryan Gravel, the urban planner who originally envisioned transit along the Beltline surrounding Atlanta, thinks transit agency MARTA extending the city’s tourist-y streetcar is a dumb idea. (Saporta Report)
Charlotte’s ambitious transit expansion plans rely heavily on Norfolk Southern sharing its tracks. (Axios)
Residents in Pierce County, Washington, are looking for answers as traffic deaths far outpaced spiking national numbers. (Seattle Times)
A truck driver killed noted chef Sarah Pliner on her bike at a Portland intersection that was also noted for being dangerous. (Willamette Week)
Kalamazoo is dismantling a pop-up bike lane. (WWMT)
Austin is seeking federal funds for transit along I-35. (Monitor)
Tempe’s streetcar is one reason why Money magazine selected it as the second-best U.S. city to live in. (KTAR)
Paper tickets are a thing of the past on the Paris Metro. (The Guardian)
Paris might be the prime example of a 15-minute city, but less than 50 years ago it was a city built for cars. (City Monitor)