Streetsblog

Friday’s Headlines Keep the Change

When it comes to making the pandemic-era "open streets" movement permanent, you can guess which side we come down on.

By Blake Aued

12:00 AM EDT on March 17, 2023

An Open Streets event in Washington, DC. Source: Ted Eytan via Creative Commons.

Cities all over the country closed streets to cars and opened them up to pedestrians during the COVID-19 pandemic, and now they’re fighting over whether to make those changes permanent. (Washington Post)
From a too-small New York City tunnel to safety issues in Boston and Charlotte to traffic-choked Southern cities that rejected transit — and outrageous costs to fix it all — the U.S. transportation system is a dystopian hellscape. (Vice)
Good transit service is wasted without high-density zoning to match. (Commercial Observer)
More proof that induced demand is a real thing. (Planetizen)
A new mapping tool can help urban planners identify sidewalk gaps. (MIT News)
Used EV batteries can find new life hooked up to a solar power grid. (Reasons to Be Cheerful)
Chicago transit agencies are asking Illinois legislators for help with a looming $730 million budget deficit. (Daily Herald)
Boston’s fare-free transit pilot program is saving low-income riders significant money and making commutes easier. (WGBH)
Philadelphia is raising parking fines to $300 because drivers keep parking anywhere they like — even on sidewalks (Inquirer). And Market Street is getting a red bus-only lane (ABC 10).
Chicago aldermen passed a Complete Streets ordinance, instituted automated traffic enforcement and introduced a bill for the city to take over sidewalk snow shoveling. (Streetsblog Chicago)
Seattle’s Sound Transit needs more decisiveness and less micromanaging, according to an advisory group. (The Urbanist)
An auditor’s report found problems with the management of the Southwest light rail line in Minneapolis. (Minnesota Public Radio)
All 42 Charlotte train cars need repairs after a derailment revealed problems with their axle bearings. (Axios)
Lyft is dropping Motivate as the maintenance contractor for Portland’s Biketown bike-share system. (Bike Portland)
Tampa is increasing streetcar frequency to once every 12 minutes. (Creative Loafing)
Salem, Oregon is looking to restore streetcar service that ended in the 1920s. (Reporter)
Marketers say it grabs attention, but research shows consumers find it cringey when companies like Lyft intentionally misspell their names. (ZME Science)