Streetsblog

Tuesday’s Headlines Go Car-Free

Only 8 percent of U.S. households don't own a car. But getting around without one is possible, even in cities that lack great transit.

By Blake Aued

12:00 AM EST on February 14, 2023

Image via Creative Commons.

Over 90 percent of U.S. households own at least one vehicle, according to Census data. The metro area with the highest rate of vehicle ownership is Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL, at 97.6 percent, and the lowest by far is New York-Newark-Jersey City at 56.5 percent. (Yahoo!)
Outside of a few coastal cities, it’s not easy to get by without a car in America. Streetsblog USA alum Angie Schmitt explains how to do it, for Vox.
Shared e-scooters are proven to reduce car trips, and cities should be building more infrastructure to keep them off sidewalks. (Cities Today)
San Francisco is extending parking meter hours to help fund transit agency Muni. (Chronicle)
An express bus between Detroit and Ann Arbor has been a success. Next up is a bus connecting downtown to the airport. (WDET)
Massachusetts lawmakers filed bills to implement congestion pricing in Boston, where the average driver spends 134 hours a year stuck in traffic. (Globe)
Minnesota lawmakers are writing a bill to put social workers on light-rail trains to help people struggling with housing, mental health and addiction. (Reformer)
Fare-free transit in Connecticut has led to unhoused people riding buses all day and a spike in attacks on bus drivers. (Examiner)
A Colorado bill would provide free transit rides during peak ozone season. (KRDO)
A judge ruled that Denver’s transit agency isn’t responsible for crossing arm issues that cost a light-rail contractor $100 million. (Colorado Public Radio)
A driver killed a cyclist on a Portland street where the Oregon DOT had forced the city to remove a bike box. Now the city is putting it back. (Bike Portland)
Austin released a new urban trail plan that increases accessibility in underserved neighborhoods. (Daily Texan)
Berlin is planning on removing almost all car parking from a neighborhood as a car-free pilot project. But it might be going too far, even for Green Party voters. (The Guardian)

Blake Aued

Blake Aued has been doing Streetsblog's daily national news digest for years. He's also an Atlanta Braves fan, which enrages his editor in New York.

Streetsblog

Streetsblog has migrated to a new comment system. New commenters can register directly in the comments section of any article. Returning commenters: your previous comments and display name have been preserved, but you'll need to reclaim your account by clicking "Forgot your password?" on the sign-in form, entering your email, and following the verification link to set a new password — this is required because passwords could not be carried over during the migration. For questions, contact tips@streetsblog.org.