Thursday’s Headlines Are Charged Up

Just switching how we power our cars won't be enough to stop climate change. Photo: USGBC
Just switching how we power our cars won't be enough to stop climate change. Photo: USGBC
  • Under pressure from the auto industry, the Biden administration is broadening the definition of SUVs so that more consumers can receive a federal tax credit for buying electric vehicles (Bloomberg). But these bigger, heavier vehicles are equally dangerous for cyclists and pedestrians, regardless of how they’re powered.
  • A key selling point for massive EVs with massive batteries is that they can keep your house running during a natural disaster when the U.S.’s decrepit power grid fails. (Washington Post)
  • Unsurprisingly, people live in walkable neighborhoods exercise more and are less likely to be obese, according to a Boston University study. (Futurity)
  • Bike advocates shouldn’t be too timid to demand just a fraction of the funding roads receive from even the most bike-friendly cities. (Resilience)
  • Philadelphia has been waiting 110 years for a Roosevelt Boulevard subway, and now is the time to build it. (Business Journal)
  • Colorado Gov. Jared Polis is pushing for more e-bike refunds, but the state may not have the infrastructure to support more cyclists. (Community Media)
  • Seattle’s Sound Transit should build the Ballard Link faster by skipping a second downtown tunnel. (The Urbanist)
  • Most of Seattle’s $25 million DOT grant for safer streets is set to go to the SoDo neighborhood, where almost half of fatal crashes occur. (KUOW)
  • Omaha’s Vision Zero website is a step forward for transparency despite slow progress. (The Reader)
  • A group of Dallas K-12 students is calling for fare-free transit so they can access the city’s many museums and other amenities. (D Magazine)
  • Louisville is installing asphalt art at four downtown intersections to make them more visible to drivers and improve pedestrian safety. (Smart Cities Dive)
  • Nice, France, is testing new video software that catches motorists blocking bike lanes. (Road)

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New Business Group Launches to Push Regional Electric Vehicles

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Washington’s love affair with electric vehicles continued today with the launch of the Electrification Coalition, an alliance of 13 companies hailing from the auto, shipping, and utility industries that have endorsed a $130 billion pitch for a region-by-region transition to battery-powered cars. The Coalition’s proposal was developed by consulting firm PRTM and Securing America’s Future […]