Monday’s Headlines Are Open for Business

Monday will be just another Monday for federal employees, as Congress avoided a government shutdown. Plus, declining gas tax revenue provides an opportunity to rethink transportation funding.

By Blake Aued

12:01 AM EDT on October 2, 2023

Michael Judkins

Congress averted a government shutdown on Saturday (CNN), meaning the U.S. DOT will avoid furloughs and can continue to award grants.
Gas taxes aren't cutting it anymore, so Transportation for America is calling for a new way to fund roads and transit, with a bigger emphasis on transit. Transit Center also believes the decline in gas tax revenue is an opportunity to rethink the traditional transportation funding.
Bike trips in the U.S. have risen by a third since 2019. (Smart Cities World)
The Federal Transit Administration is prioritizing rail safety after street-level trains killed 19 people and injured 133 last year. (Smart Cities Dive)
D.C. Metro officials are warning that the transit agency could have to cut services by as much as two-thirds next year without additional funding (DCist), and the Washington Post editorial board is urging regional governments to step up to the plate.
With no explanation, the D.C. government has delayed enforcement of $200 tickets for drivers who block bike lanes. (Post)
Charlotte is considering raising fines for drivers who block bus lanes and park in bike lanes. (WSOC)
The Houston Metro approved $10 million to start its own bikeshare program. (Houston Public Media)
California transportation agency Caltrans wants to exempt extremely dangerous freeway interchanges from its complete streets standards. (CalBike), Streetsblog CAL)
A Los Angeles pilot program will pay Santa Monica residents not to drive (CBS News). Problem is, they can still drive one car, just not their second, or third, or fourth ...
Denver is using smartwatch data submitted by cyclists to identify areas that cause stress or discomfort. (Denver 7)
The Duke Chronicle reminds readers that the university killed a light rail project four years ago.
Ridership on Detroit's QLINE streetcar is up 60 percent over last year. (Free Press)
As if cars weren't dangerous enough, did you know snakes like to sleep in their engine bays? (Jalopnik)