Tuesday’s Headlines Breathe Easy

Reduced pollution in low-traffic London neighborhoods is resulting in health benefits worth the equivalent of $6,000 per person.

By Blake Aued

12:52 AM EDT on March 12, 2024

London has 85 low-traffic neighborhoods (LTN) that prioritize cycling and walking over driving. As shown in this photo, LTNs often feature narrowed roadways for motor vehicles, widened sidewalks for pedestrians and outdoor eating, prohibitions on through motor-vehicle traffic, reduced speed limits, and traffic-calming devices such as speed humps and raised crosswalks. Photo: Transport for London.

|Transport for London

Creating low-traffic neighborhoods creates health benefits that are 100 times greater than the cost of implementing them, according to a London study. (The Guardian)
Companies have wasted $50 billion trying to develop self-driving cars that could've been spent on transit or high-speed rail instead. (Jalopnik)
A new proposed Federal Highway Administration policy would require states to assess roadways for bike and pedestrian safety. (Smart Cities Dive)
The FHWA approved a plan to add four lanes to I-94 through Milwaukee, although a lawsuit is likely. (Urban Milwaukee)
Maryland lawmakers do not want to pay for a high-speed rail line between New York and Washington, D.C. (Baltimore Fishbowl)
There a still a lot of questions about a proposal for an elevated bullet train through Dallas. (D Magazine)
Portland's transportation commissioner, who's running for mayor, is being a bit cagey about whether he supports bike lanes. (Mercury)
Limited Amtrak service has resumed in Southern California, where a landslide blocked tracks in January. (KTLA)
The cost of extending Bay Area Rapid Transit rail to San Jose rose again to $12.75 billion. (Spotlight)
The Washington state legislature is loosening restrictions on using cameras for traffic enforcement. (The Urbanist)
Today Atlanta is synonymous with gridlock, but 100 years ago it had a world-class streetcar system. (Atlanta Magazine)
Other European cities want to follow Paris' lead and discourage SUVs. (CNBC)