Streetsblog

Monday’s Headlines Defund the Police

Armed officers shouldn't be enforcing traffic laws or patrolling subway stations. Infrastructure and social services are better ways to keep people safe.

By Blake Aued

12:00 AM EDT on May 15, 2023

Image: NJ Transit Police, CC

Why police don’t need to be involved in transportation: A report out of Los Angeles says the city should be focused on “self-enforcing infrastructure” like crosswalks, bike lanes and traffic-calming street design, and turn enforcement of traffic laws over to unarmed civilians (L.A. Times).
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Tesla’s “Autopilot” feature is misleadingly named because the cars don’t actually drive themselves. (Associated Press)
Don’t call Lyft a “ride-sharing” company anymore, because it’s discontinued carpools. (Fortune)
Business Insider reported that Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) called out Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) for calling bike lanes “the height of stupidity,” and Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) thinks the bike is the answer, whether the question is health or climate change.
If California doesn’t bail out Bay Area transit agencies to the tune of $2.5 billion, riders would be forced to spend twice that much on cars. (Streetsblog CAL). But faced with a $32 billion budget deficit, Gov. Gavin Newsom is actually proposing to cut transit funding instead (Bloomberg).
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority could face a funding gap of more than $500 million by 2028. (Boston Herald)
Seattle’s King County Metro is cutting some peak-time bus routes due to a shortage of drivers and mechanics. (The Urbanist)
The Washington Post editorial board called on the D.C. government to fix K Street rather than diverting the project’s funding to fare-free transit.
Detroit is spending $95 million to repave roads, build speed humps and repair sidewalks. (Fox 2)
The Biden administration’s proposed budget includes $100 million for a Charleston bus rapid transit project. (Business Journal)
A new group is calling on the Twin Cities to prevent the Blue Line extension from displacing residents. (KARE)
After 10 years, work is finally starting on wider sidewalks and protected bike lanes for Juniper Street in midtown Atlanta. (Axios)
Columbus, Ohio, is offering rebates for e-bike purchases. (Axios)