Monday’s Headlines Pay the Price

Electric vehicles certainly aren't the be-all end-all, but if they're even going to serve as a transition away from fossil fuels, shouldn't states stop taxing them so much?

By Blake Aued

12:01 AM EDT on August 21, 2023

Photo: Gregory Varnum, CC

|Gregory Varnum, CC

Conservative states are placing what critics are calling 'punitive' fees on electric vehicle owners, well above what the driver of an internal combustion car would pay in gas taxes for road maintenance (Politico). A carbon tax would be a better way to make people and corporations pay for their fair share of damage to roads or the environment (The Conversation).
The U.S. banned cigarette ads because of the damage tobacco causes to public health. Should we also ban car commercials that contribute to congestion by showing vehicles zooming down the open road with no traffic in sight? (Policy Options)
Some transit projects like the Hudson River tunnel carry eye-popping price tags, but when you look at how many riders those projects will carry, the cost isn't really that high. (Eno Center for Transportation)
Cal Matters makes the case that speed cameras will protect people of color and low-income communities from unfair enforcement, rather than target them.
Jobs and cheap housing continue to draw people to the Sun Belt despite the heat-related risks of climate change. (The Atlantic)
The National Association of City Transportation Officials has some suggestions for improving the federal manual that guides road projects all over the country. (Republished by Streetsblog USA)
A metro Chicago planning agency will soon produce a report on how to make transit sustainable, which could include raising or lowering fares, as well as consolidating agencies. (Sun-Times)
Minneapolis approved legislation to boost pay for Uber and Lyft drivers, standing up to the companies' threats to pull out of the city entirely. (Minnesota Public Radio)
The Federal Transit Administration is starting a probe into safety on Philadelphia's transit agency. (Billy Penn)
Cyclists live in fear, even in a bike-friendly city like Seattle. (Crosscut)
Kansas City voters will decide whether to renew a transit tax this November. (KCUR)
Meet the suburban "snout house," which treats living space for humans as an afterthought to storage for cars. (Jalopnik)