Monday’s Headlines Don’t Believe in Myths
Autonomous vehicles were always a fiction, according to The New Republic, sold to us by tech companies who wanted to fend off transit projects while scraping our data.
By
Blake Aued
12:01 AM EDT on July 17, 2023
- Driverless cars were never supposed to fulfill utopian promises to solve congestion or pollution, according to The New Republic. Instead, the promise was intended to fend off transit expansion and scrap more data.
- As cars get more expensive and interest rates rise, millennials and Gen Z are falling behind on their car payments at rates not since the 2008 recession. (Auto News)
- The Taylor Swift tour is temporarily bumping up transit ridership in cities across the country, but when it comes to finding a more permanent solution, transit agencies can’t just shake it off. (Next City)
- Fewer Americans are going to church, so urban parishes are starting to sell their property — including parking lots — for redevelopment. (Slate)
- Even as the D.C. Metro is faced with operating shortfalls, the agency is looking ahead to regional growth and planning expansion. (Washington Post)
- Since Denver committed to Vision Zero in 2016, traffic deaths have actually gone up. Heavier vehicles and a growing population are partly to blame, but so are a lack of enforcement and the city and state governments’ reluctance to tackle the busiest, most dangerous roads. (Denverite)
- Seeking re-election, Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett is benefiting from pledges to ticket and tow drivers who block bike lanes, as well as other cyclist-friendly policies. (Axios)
- A $12 million reconfiguration of Michigan Avenue in Lansing is set to start this year. (State Journal)
- Some Kansas City leaders are fighting to keep cars out of new streetcar lanes. (Fox 4)
- Miami is missing out on millions in gas tax revenue because city officials forgot to renew the tax before the deadline. (Herald)
- Dallas’ transit agency was forced to slow down trains due to extreme heat. (NBC DFW)
- The Source traces Los Angeles transit back to a little-known 1974 ballot initiative.
- 21 ways for cyclists to stay motivated to keep riding. (Momentum Mag)
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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