Tuesday’s Headlines Get Back to the Grind
Safety is the word of the day, whether it's the threat to pedestrians from heavy EVs or a lack of infrastructure discouraging women from riding bikes.
By
Blake Aued
12:01 AM EDT on May 30, 2023
- Federal regulators are proposing a new pass/fail test for vehicles’ pedestrian safety — which sounds like a good idea, except vehicles that fail the test could still get a five-star safety rating. (Route Fifty)
- Ford’s CEO is absolutely right that EV batteries are way too big and heavy, even if he cares more about costs than pedestrian safety or environmental devastation. (The Verge)
- Male cyclists in the U.S. outnumber women two-to-one, but federal funding for bike safety is now available to help fix the imbalance. (City Lab)
- Momentum Mag has its second edition of the world’s worst bike lanes, includes ones running right down the middle of highways or blocked by trees.
- The L.A. Metro’s new Regional Connector subway will shave 20 minutes off commuters’ cross-city travel time by eliminating transfers. (Los Angeles Times)
- Major transit projects in Atlanta and DeKalb and Clayton counties are advancing. (AJC)
- The Washington, D.C. city council held a six-hour hearing on dangerous driving and traffic enforcement last week. (DCist)
- Charlotte and its suburbs are feuding over control of the region’s transit system. (WFAE)
- Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz vetoed a bill boosting pay and benefits for Uber and Lyft drivers. (Ars Technica)
- The transportation budget Walz did sign includes $200 million for express rail between Duluth and the Twin Cities. (Duluth News Tribune)
- A bill to eliminate paper temp tags has passed the Texas Senate, which will make Streetsblog NYC happy. (NBC5)
- A 97-unit apartment building with no parking has been proposed in St. Petersburg. (St. Pete Rising)
- Construction on a Tulsa bus rapid transit line has been delayed due to a $15 million shortfall. (World)
- A parking lot expansion will close two popular Washington state nature trails this summer. (Seattle Times)
- A treasure trove of long-neglected vintage streetcars is headed for the scrap heap. (The Drive)
- The Stranger reminds us not to hog the sidewalk.
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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