Monday’s Headlines Need Better Infrastructure
The lack of investment in infrastructure in the U.S. over the past few decades is costing us all a lot of time and making people very unhappy, according to the New York Times.
By
Blake Aued
12:01 AM EDT on October 23, 2023
- The New York Times Magazine took a deep dive into the cost in time, money and lives of not investing in infrastructure. Following a 100-year burst of ingenuity, travel times have been stagnant or worse since the 1970s, despite long commutes being a primary source of unhappiness among U.S. residents.
- As vehicles become more fuel-efficient or don’t need any gas at all, Congress and state legislators are looking for new ways to fund transportation. (Smart Cities Dive)
- Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman introduced a bill that would provide additional funding for transit during emergencies like the I-95 collapse in Philadelphia. (Transportation Today)
- Since a new California law legalized speed cameras, San Francisco is planning to place 33 of them in school zones and at dangerous intersections. (SFist)
- Should Milwaukee start charging to ride the streetcar? Three quarters of riders would be willing to pay for the fare-free service. (WTMJ)
- Dallas is looking at options for a streetcar line that would provide an essential transit link. (KERA)
- Atlanta Beltline transit advocates are mounting a response to a new NIMBY group. (Axios)
- The Tampa Bay Times editorial board calls on the community to leverage a small federal planning grant into another stab at expanding the region’s transit system.
- Birmingham’s sidewalks are crumbling. (AL.com)
- A Portland State University student calls for the campus to go car-free. (Vanguard)
- Raleigh and Durham have seen an uptick in biking since the start of the pandemic. (Axios)
- Ithica is considering legalizing jaywalking. (Voice)
- One San Diego resident is so upset about a new sidewalk that he used his SUV to block construction. (NBC San Diego)
- Phoenix’s Pantless Light Rail Ride is back. (New Times)
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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