Thursday’s Headlines Have a New Pattern

Working from home may have killed the commute, but people are taking more frequent, shorter trips instead. Whether this adds up to less or more driving overall depends on the city.

By Blake Aued

12:31 AM EDT on September 21, 2023

A morning commute over the Burnside Bridge in 2018. (Photo: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)

Everywhere across the country, people are commuting less but taking more frequent, shorter trips since the pandemic, according to new Brookings Institute research. But the changes in the way people are traveling vary wildly from city to city.
Kids should be walking, biking or taking the bus to school instead of getting dropped off by their parents. (The Atlantic)
Bird has acquired Spin's parent company, making Bird the largest bikeshare and e-scooter operator in North America.
Investors are suing Morgan Stanley for $750 million, alleging they were defrauded in a transaction involving private rail company Brightline. (Reuters)
CalBikes provides arguments for supporting e-bikes even if you don't ride one.
Dallas is trying to reintroduce shared e-scooters but is still running into issues like people riding them on the sidewalk. (D Magazine)
Transit-oriented development is great, but not enough to meet D.C.'s demand for housing. (Greater Greater Washington)
Ridership on Tempe's streetcar more than doubled expectations in its first year of operation. (Axios)
Omaha's streetcar is on track to open in the spring of 2027. (KETV)
Why is the state legislature trying to silence Hawaii Authority for Rapid Transportation board members? (Hawaii Reporter)
Connecticut is considering banning right turns on red, scenarios where drivers commonly hit cyclists and pedestrians. (WTNH)
A planned mile-long trail around Denver remains in limbo. (Denverite)
Seattle's new waterfront bike trail will be narrower and curvier than originally proposed. (The Urbanist)
These new bike tires are made of a shape-shifting metal invented by NASA. (The Verge)