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Wednesday’s Headlines Are Inflated

Light rail in Austin could be one of the casualties of higher-than-expected construction costs.

    • Cities all over the country, like Atlanta, Philadelphia and Austin, are scaling back ambitious transit plans in the face of rising construction costs. (City Lab)
    • A study in London found that people who live in low-income neighborhoods have a higher risk of being killed in a crash. (Traffic Technology Today)
    • As vehicles get heavier and parking garages get older, it could lead to catastrophe. (Curbed)
    • The Chevy Bolt, one of just two electric sedans eligible for the federal EV tax credit, is being discontinued. (CNBC)
    • China's largest electric automaker admitted that fully self-driving cars are "basically impossible." (The Truth About Cars)
    • Streetsblog Chicago editor John Greenfield is in the hospital after suffering a serious injury when a pipe in a truckbed hit him while he was riding his bike on the side of the road (Block Club, Streetsblog CHI, StreetsblogUSA). We wish him a speedy recovery.
    • Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey and Rep. Ayanna Pressley introduced a $25 billion bill to help transit agencies go fare-free. (NBC Boston)
    • A western Massachusetts bikeshare is on hold because its parent company ran into financial problems. (Vermont Public)
    • The Washington state legislature has all but abandoned traffic safety bills as the death toll mounts. (The Urbanist)
    • Striping is underway for dedicated bike lanes in Milwaukee, and the new bus rapid transit line will open in June. (Urban Milwaukee)
    • Kansas City should go back to the future and restore its once-robust streetcar system. (KCUR)
    • California gave San Jose the last $46 million it needs to complete a light rail extension. (Mercury News)
    • Los Angeles traffic signals are timed to prioritize cars over cyclists and pedestrians. (L.A. Times)
    • The planned Omaha streetcar could cross over into Iowa. (3 News Now)
    • Phoenix painted a crosswalk purple, orange and yellow in honor of the Suns basketball team, and to promote pedestrian safety. (Arizona Republic)
    • Canada is looking to the U.S. for ways to stem transit violence. (CBC)

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