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Wednesday’s Headlines Are Shocking

The Biden administration is paying for 1,700 new buses, more than half of which will be electric.

  • About $1.7 billion in federal grants awarded to dozens of transit agencies nationwide will double the number of zero-emissions buses on the road to 1,600. (The Verge)
  • Research shows that helmets and safety vests dehumanize cyclists in drivers’ eyes, perhaps making drivers less careful around them. (Business Insider)
  • Breathing polluted air made COVID-19 more serious, according to a new study. Patients exposed to pollution experienced the virus — which affected the elderly more than the young — as if they were 10 years older than they were. (The Guardian)
  • The quick reconstruction of I-95 in Philadelphia was the exception rather than the rule when it comes to American infrastructure. (The Atlantic)
  • New York City’s congestion pricing plan to charge drivers to enter Manhattan cleared its final federal hurdle and could be implemented next year. (NY Times)
  • Some jerk motorists in Portland are organizing a “park-in” to intentionally block bike and bus lanes. (Bike Portland)
  • And Vancouver drivers just can’t seem to get the hang of staying out of bike lanes. (Daily Hive)
  • Honolulu’s recently completed light rail line has been labeled a boondoggle for 60 years. (Civil Beat)
  • Minnesota lawmakers lifted a 20-year ban on the government even discussing a light rail line from the Twin Cities to their southern suburbs. (MinnPost)
  • Segregation fueled the car-centric development of Washington, D.C. in the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s. (Greater Greater Washington)
  • Colorado’s Regional Transportation District is still suffering from a shortage of bus and train operators. (Denver Post)
  • Bay Area lawmakers have introduced a bill to raise bridge tolls to fund public transit. (KRON)
  • Cleveland is building a 4.4-mile bike path loop on Superior and Lorain avenues. (Ideastream)
  • Paris is swapping car lanes for sidewalks and bike paths on one of its busiest thoroughfares. (Bloomberg)

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