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Thursday’s Headlines Are Out of Batteries

12:00 AM EST on January 26, 2023

An electric car like this Tesla is still a car. Photo: Steve Jurvetson, CC

    • Demand for lithium — an environmentally devastating mineral to mine that's essential for electric vehicle batteries — is set to explode by 4,000 percent if the number of cars on the road stays the same, highlighting the need for investment in transit, smaller batteries and better recycling. (Grist)
    • The Biden administration's focus on EVs is frustrating climate change activists who want to see more emphasis on transit and less driving altogether. (City Lab)
    • Tiny low-speed EVs obviously have a much lower environmental impact from mining, and are also more affordable that a Tesla. (Electrek)
    • Congestion pricing doesn't really seem to change driver behavior, according to one UK study. (City Monitor)
    • McKinsey consultants expect the micromobility industry to grow sevenfold by 2025. (Government Technology)
    • Critics say arguments over new bus routes are overshadowing other problems at the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority, like the way it treats workers and a discriminatory fare system. (Philadelphia Inquirer)
    • People of color and low-income Boston residents have access to fewer destinations by transit than wealthier whites. (Transit Center)
    • A Brightline/SunRail extension between Orlando and Tampa is complicated by the sheer number of companies and government agencies involved. (Mass Transit)
    • Oregon legislators are pushing back against tolling on I-5. (Bike Portland)
    • A number of Sound Transit's Tacoma projects are proceeding slowly. (The Urbanist)
    • Phoenix has extended its longstanding micromobility pilot program, which Mayor Kate Gallego says will help the city handle Super Bowl visitors next month. (Smart Cities Dive)
    • Chicago has found that installing infrastructure forcing drivers to slow down when making left-hand turns reduces crashes by 25 percent. (Axios)
    • Milwaukee is hiring for the newly created position of Vision Zero policy director. (TMJ 4)
    • Munich will ban most diesel vehicles from a low-emissions zone in the city center next month. (The Mayor)
    • The French city of Lille will pay commuters to stop driving alone during rush hour. (Eltis)

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