Today's Headlines

Thursday’s Headlines Are Incomplete

There's too much wiggle room and not enough specific direction for traffic engineers in many Complete Streets policies.

By Blake Aued

12:01 AM EDT on July 13, 2023

A design guide developed by Phoenix’s Complete Streets Advisory Board would make bike lanes a default feature on many streets, but city officials haven’t approved it. Sean Sweat/Twitter

Failed Complete Streets policies that don’t result in fewer cyclist and pedestrian deaths are often so vaguely written that they don’t give bureaucrats much guidance, a recent article argues. (Planetizen)
When freight trains block street intersections, forcing pedestrians to wait or risk their lives clambering over them, local governments have little recourse, even with $3 billion in funding from the Biden administration for bypasses. (New York Times)
Congestion pricing like New York City is implementing is a “perfect trade” that both discourages driving and funds transit. (GreenBiz)
Truck manufacturers have agreed to abide by California’s 2036 ban on new diesel big rigs to avoid litigation and maintain one nationwide standard. (Washington Post)
A new freight master plan in Portland calls for more separation from cyclists. (Bike Portland)
The contractor for Minneapolis’ over-budget Southwest light rail line says recommendations in a critical audit would have led to even more delays and expenses. (Star Tribune)
The New Orleans Regional Transit Authority’s new CEO is going back to basics by focusing on improving service and reliability. (Governing)
Building Salt Lake traces the history of Salt Lake City’s S-Line.
Denver’s popular e-bike rebate program is benefiting cyclists and the environment, but not necessarily local bike shops. (Axios)
Los Angeles is following the lead of Barcelona’s “superblocks” by reclaiming portions of neighborhood streets for car-free parks. (Smart Cities Dive)
Even one Dutch airline CEO wants to put short-haul passengers on trains as European airlines try to meet carbon emission goals. (Politico)
Bikes now outnumber cars in the City of London, the sprawling metropolis’ central square mile. (Forbes)

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.

Today's Headlines

Streetsblog has migrated to a new comment system. New commenters can register directly in the comments section of any article. Returning commenters: your previous comments and display name have been preserved, but you'll need to reclaim your account by clicking "Forgot your password?" on the sign-in form, entering your email, and following the verification link to set a new password — this is required because passwords could not be carried over during the migration. For questions, contact tips@streetsblog.org.

Thursday’s Headlines Are Incomplete

Read More:

More from Streetsblog USA

Wednesday’s Headlines Cut to the Bone

Letter From Bogotá: How A Great World Capital Puts Housing, Transit and Public Space First

Tuesday’s Headlines Drag Their Feet

A NYC Delivery App Isn’t Paying Minimum Pay Law — And Admitting It

Monday’s Headlines Still Aren’t Safe