Wednesday’s Headlines Take the Wheel

It makes no difference whether cars are driven by humans or computers, they're still unsafe and damaging the environment.

By Blake Aued

12:04 AM EDT on August 30, 2023

Image description: The wheels of a powerchair
approaching a large bump in the sidewalk.

Despite proponent's promises, autonomous vehicles will not make streets safer, or reduce congestion or pollution. The problem is reliance on cars, not who or what is driving them. (Transportation for America)
Thirty-seven states are exploring a transition to a vehicle-miles driven tax (Eno Center for Transportation). That's good, because cost burdens of gas taxes are inequitable, according to new MIT paper.
Route Fifty compares congestion pricing in Manhattan to a Bay Area proposal to raise bridge tolls to fund transit.
A writer who uses a wheelchair broke the internet with an essay about being sick of bike lane opponents using disabled people to bolster their arguments. (The Spinoff)
The Twin Cities' Met Council is delaying a vote on funding agreements for the Southwest and Blue lines. (Star Tribune)
Sound Transit is moving forward with an Eastside Seattle light rail line. (425)
Unhoused people in Phoenix are getting third-degree burns from superhot sidewalks. (The Guardian)
Milwaukee Magazine takes a deep dive into I-794 and the history of freeway fights in Southeastern Wisconsin.
Microtransit ridership has nearly doubled in rural Virginia. (Mercury)
The next U.S. biking paradise is ... Northwest Arkansas? (Streetsblog USA)
Pedestrian deaths are trending upward again in Iowa after dropping from 32 to 17 last year. (The Gazette)
Santa Clara transit is adding capacity for Beyoncé's concert tonight (NBC Bay Area). Meanwhile, Charlotte officials lament never extending light rail to concert venue the PNC Pavilion (Axios).
Lyft CEO David Risher bikes to work every day. (Yahoo! Finance)