Streetsblog

Thursday’s Headlines Are Out of Control

Just like the cost of highway construction, which is going through the roof as transit agencies struggle to find funding.

By Blake Aued

12:00 AM EDT on April 20, 2023

Photo: Macomb Politics

Think transit projects are expensive? The cost of highway construction rose 50 percent between 2020 and 2022 alone. (Eno Center for Transportation)
Electric SUVs are the heaviest personal vehicles ever made. Tests show they do a decent job of protecting the people inside, but not so much people on the street or in other vehicles. (Global News)
Daytime running lights on cars reduce the risk of crashes by nine percent. (Jalopnik)
Officials are splitting up the massive Gateway rail tunnel project under the Hudson River into four parts in an effort to curb costs and speed up construction. (City Lab)
San Francisco supervisors passed a resolution formally urging the California government to save Bay Area transit from a fiscal calamity. (ABC 7)
New Jersey Transit faces a nearly $1 billion shortfall by 2027 without a fare hike or state aid. (NJ.com)
A Texas bill would make it easier for local governments to lower speed limits in residential neighborhoods. (Dallas Morning News)
The latest plan for a new I-5 bridge between Portland and Vancouver, Washington, would allow light rail to run during construction. (The Columbian)
The commuter rail company Brightline’s Orlando station is expected to open this week. (Palm Beach Post)
New Orleans is installing flashing yellow left-turn signals that are supposedly easier for drivers to understand. (Axios)
While Fort Worth considers reviving streetcars as the city grows (Report), El Paso is considering cutting back service or getting rid of its five-year-old streetcar altogether (KFOX 14)
More people are biking in Ann Arbor as a result of protected bike lanes. (WEMU)
Richmond’s planning commission unanimously recommended getting rid of mandatory parking. (Times-Dispatch)
After being hit, a longtime Cleveland cyclist took to tactical urbanism, posting signs around town explicitly telling drivers where they can put their lead feet. (Scene)