Wednesday’s Headlines Are Running on Empty
Fewer commutes to downtown offices means less money to fund transit services, even as money for autocentric infrastructure keeps right on flowing.
By
Blake Aued
12:20 AM EDT on April 17, 2024
- Remote work has not only taken a bite out of transit ridership, all that vacant office space is costing cities tax revenue required to fund services. (Business Insider)
- Charging electric vehicles during off-peak hours is driving down power rates for everyone. (Quartz)
- Streetsblog interviewed California Rep. Mike Thompson, the new chair of the Congressional Bike Caucus.
- Transportation blogger Reece Martin defends the value of a good transit plan — not the kind politicians wave around and abandon, but one with follow-through.
- Boston’s Fenway Park, San Diego’s Petco Park and the Rogers Centre in Toronto are tied for the most walkable MLB stadiums. (Axios)
- Bike advocates are fighting back against Washington, D.C.’s decision to cancel longstanding plans for protected bike lanes on Connecticut Avenue. (Washingtonian)
- A Colorado bill would encourage more housing near transit and employment centers, and penalize cities that don’t comply by taking away highway funding. (Colorado Politics)
- A study of Minneapolis building permits found that more than a third of development is happening within half a mile of transit lines. (Mass Transit)
- As they seek to curb reckless driving, Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson is focused on street design, while Wisconsin legislators prefer an enforcement approach. (Governing)
- Kansas City’s $2.3 billion budget does not include any new funding for buses, despite residents’ demands. (Defender)
- Praise the Lord! A Philadelphia bike advocacy group took action Sunday to stop churchgoers from parking in the bike lane out front. (Inquirer)
- Rideshare driving is risky business in New Orleans. (NOLA.com)
- As early as 1899, the Detroit News was covering fatal car crashes.
- Public art at a new Seattle light rail station explores mixed-race heritage. (KING)
- The Milwaukee Record continues its tradition of taking pictures of people taking pictures of The Hop streetcar.
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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