Streetsblog

Tuesday’s Headlines Get Off Our Phones

Distracted driving is up 23 percent since 2020. Plus, Pete Buttigieg says every American should be outraged about the recent spike in traffic deaths.

By Blake Aued

12:28 AM EDT on May 2, 2023

Photo credit: Tim Samuel

Drivers are increasingly distracted by their phones, according to a new study, contributing to the rise in traffic deaths in recent years. States that passed hands-free laws saw improvements…but those improvements didn’t always last. (Route Fifty)
Vox interviewed Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg about traffic safety, fare-free transit and ridership recovery after COVID.
The Federal Railroad Administration issued a warning about super-long freight trains that are more prone to derailment. (Associated Press)
Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser is pushing back against city council proposals for a rideshare congestion charge and canceling K Street bus lanes to pay for fare-free transit. (DCist)
The president of the Chicago Transit Authority has criticized the city transit system as unsafe and unreliable, but how would he know? He hardly ever rides it. (Block Club Chicago)
MARTA is starting construction later this year on two south Atlanta arterial transit lines — like bus rapid transit but without dedicated lanes. (AJC)
Phoenix’s Valley Metro is looking to identify a route for a new light rail or BRT line through Maryvale. (KTAR)
Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson is floating a plan to turn I-794 into at-grade streets and redevelop the longtime dead zone of MacArthur Square. (Journal Sentinel)
Biking was up 57 percent in Culver City due to a downtown bike lane before the Los Angeles-area city’s council voted to remove it. (Bicycling)
Portland announced plans for a protected bike lane and transit improvements on Southwest Jefferson. (Bike Portland)
St. Paul cyclists are split on redesign options for Summerhill Avenue. (MinnPost)
Here’s how Seattle residents can bike downtown during a two-week Link light rail service slowdown. (Seattle Bike Blog)
Burlington is expected to get a new bikeshare in the coming months. (WCAX)
A slushy machine, a lightsaber and a Danny DeVito Christmas ornament are among the items Uber passengers left behind in 2022. (CNN)