Wednesday’s Headlines Step Up Their Game

State DOTs should be less worried about moving cars fast and more worried about climate change. Plus, parking lots play a role in heat waves and flooding.

By Blake Aued

12:01 AM EST on January 24, 2024

Defense Visual Information Distribution Service, CC

Transportation is the biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S., but most state DOTs view their mission as widening highways in a futile effort to reduce traffic congestion, not fighting climate change, a Heat Map News article argues.
Parking lots are major contributors to excessive heat and flooding in urban areas, and auto-centric Sun Belt cities like Phoenix are the worst offenders. (Scientific American)
Violent assaults on transit workers have tripled since 2008. (Axios)
At 34 percent, the pay gap between men and women who work at car dealerships is twice the national average. (Jalopnik)
People for Bikes named its 20 best new bike lanes in the U.S., featuring some of the usual suspects like Seattle and some surprising choices like Jackson, Mississippi.
Little has changed in the most recent Columbia River Crossing bridge plans except the cost since transit advocates helped kill the last version three years ago. (Portland Mercury)
The L.A. Metro might be making a mistake allowing Lyft to run its bikeshare system. (Velo)
As Streetsblog NYC continues its crusade against toll- and ticket-dodging drivers, a recent audit found that obscured license plates cost the city $100 million a year.
A new "15-minute city" in Utah planned for an old prison site has plenty of parking but is not well integrated with transit. (Build Salt Lake)
Lincoln, Nebraska, is considering removing minimum parking requirements in commercial and industrial areas in hopes of encouraging the redevelopment of blighted shopping centers. (Journal Star)
Charlottesville's newest city council member won more votes than any other candidate by running on a platform of transit, bike lanes and walkability. (Daily Progress)
If you're slipping and falling while walking on icy sidewalks, you're probably doing it wrong. (Huffington Post)