Monday’s Headlines Come From the Land Down Under
As relatively sparsely populated nations that also don't have centralized transportation policies, the U.S. and Australia have a lot in common. So why do Aussies drive half as much as Americans?
By
Blake Aued
12:16 AM EDT on August 28, 2023
- Geography is often cited as a reason why Americans don’t embrace transit. But in Australia — which is even more spread out than the U.S. — people drive much less. One reason is Australia’s cities are denser; another is its provinces don’t restrict gas-tax spending to roads. (Transportation for America)
- Bikeshare and e-scooter ridership has fully recovered from the pandemic. (Government Technology)
- Uber’s goal of going all-electric may have as much to do with its dream of driverless cars as it does meeting climate goals. (CNBC)
- Commuters were largely unaffected by the I-95 bridge collapse in Philadelphia because they worked from home, found other routes or switched modes. (Washington Post)
- Seattle residents overwhelmingly support ambitious changes to transportation, but does the city have the political will to follow through? (The Urbanist)
- The Houston Metro approved a route for a planned bus rapid transit extension to Gulfton. (Chronicle)
- Washington, D.C.’s Vision Zero efforts are hampered by the city throwing up roadblocks in front of neighborhood traffic-calming projects. (Greater Greater Washington)
- An Albuquerque architect has proposed a seven-mile rails-to-trails project connecting various downtown landmarks. (Arch Daily)
- Meeting with disgruntled riders, Memphis Area Transit Authority officials blamed service cuts on a lack of funding and employees. (WREG)
- A Texas teen arrested for “walking while Black” spurred lawmakers to pass a law allowing people to walk in the road when sidewalks are impassable, such as after ice storms. (Texas Tribune)
- A parking garage collapsed at a Cleveland apartment complex, injuring two people. (Plain Dealer)
- Like in many cities, biking exploded in Manila during the pandemic. But with the city cutting funding for active transportation, will the boom persist? (Grist)
- Momentum showcases the world’s most awe-inspiring bike infrastructure.
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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