Streetsblog

Friday’s Headlines Risked It for the Biscuit

Sadly, it's not that Gen Z doesn't want to drive cars, it's that Gen Z can't afford to. Plus, Popeye's can make drivers do wrong.

By Blake Aued

12:00 AM EST on March 3, 2023

Friday’s Headlines Risked It for the Biscuit

Image: State Farm

Much has been made of Gen Z falling out of love with cars, but the reality is that auto-centric infrastructure will force them to get behind the wheel sooner or later — probably later, but only because cars are more unaffordable than ever. (City Lab)
Tesla shareholders filed a lawsuit accusing Elon Musk of false and misleading statements regarding the company’s Full Self-Driving technology. (Reuters)
Improving transit doesn’t have to be complicated. Just provide more buses! (Yahoo)
Public health concerns and cities’ experiences during the pandemic are behind the push for car-free blocks and neighborhoods (City Monitor). Yet some U.S. cities are ceding public spaces back to cars now that COVID has subsided (Planetizen).
Plans for a second rail tunnel connecting San Francisco and the East Bay are in jeopardy. (Chronicle)
Declining revenue projections could scuttle plans to make Washington, D.C.’s Metrobus fare-free. (DCist)
After decades of disinvestment, Cincinnati is embarking on a long-term project to reinvigorate its transit system. (Soapbox)
With the Regional Transportation District preparing to ban riding transit indefinitely, Denverite went out and talked to homeless riders who just want a place to stay warm, as well as other riders who are on edge from the unhoused riders’ sometimes-erratic presence.
The head of Reconnect Rondo explains why building a land bridge over I-94 in St. Paul is worth $45o million. (MinnPost)
Despite smashing ridership records, the Minneapolis’ Nice Ride bikeshare is going away because corporate sponsor Blue Cross Blue Shield pulled its support. (Racket)
St. Petersburg’s Sunrunner bus rapid transit line has been so successful that there’s talk of expanding it after just six months. (Bay News 9)
A Washington state bill decriminalizing jaywalking is still alive, but right turns on red will remain legal for another year. (Seattle Times)
A New Mexico bill would require cities to build protected bike lanes during road projects and provide $5 million to do so. (KRQE)
Sound Transit has pushed back the Federal Way light rail line another three years, to 2035. (Tacoma News-Tribune)
Words matter, and Oregon lawmakers recognize that with a bill that would replace the word “accident” with “crashes” in state law. (Bike Portland)
Kudos to the Utah DOT for finding a traffic solution that doesn’t involve more lanes. (Vice)
Yes, entirely too many drivers are crashing into buildings, as we’ve reported. To paraphrase Chris Rock in this case, though: I’m not saying it’s right … but I understand. (Jalopnik)

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.

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