Streetsblog

Friday’s Headlines Are Getting Safer

Here are all the things cities are spending federal grants for safe streets on.

By Blake Aued

12:00 AM EDT on May 12, 2023

Make streets look more like this. Photo: NACTO

Cities nationwide are using $5 billion in federal safe-streets funding to right-size roads, build pedestrian islands, add protected bike lanes and more. (Governing)
Transit agencies cannot continue to use a policing-only approach to houselessness and mental health. (Transit Center)
Cities should use rebates, parking, charging stations and other methods to encourage the use of e-bikes. (Greater Greater Washington)
The New York Times reviews Henry Grabar’s new book about America’s obsession with parking, “Paved Paradise.”
The California government should bail out struggling Bay Area transit systems. (Sacramento Bee)
Three Republican-appointed federal appeals court judges ruled that Nashville can’t force developers to build or pay for sidewalks. (Courthouse News)
Minnesota’s new transportation budget is good news for transit and active transportation. (Minnesota Public Radio)
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers signed a law increasing penalties for reckless driving. (Wis Politics)
A Charlotte-area county has dropped out of the region’s transit system. (WFAE)
A Kansas City streetcar extension is gaining momentum. (Flatland KC)
An Illinois bill would allow Uber and Lyft passengers to sue those companies if they’re sexually assaulted by a driver. (WGN)
The Federal Transit Administration gave the green light to a San Antonio bus rapid transit line. (Metro Magazine)
A Massachusetts congressman wants to build high-speed rail all over the state. (Smart Cities Dive)
Oklahoma City is planning a road diet on six-lane Classen Boulevard. (KOCO)
Connecticut has seen a spike in hit-and-run drivers injuring or killing cyclists and pedestrians. (NBC Connecticut)
Santa Fe’s bus system is a mess. (Reporter)
Tucson transit will remain fare-free for the rest of the year. (Arizona Daily Star)
When it comes to bike lanes, one candidate for mayor of Toronto is wrong and stupid, and the other is not. (Bicycling)
The only thing better than riding a streetcar is drinking a beer while riding a streetcar. (Daily Hive)

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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