Wednesday’s Health-Conscious Headlines

Cars aren't just dangerous when they crash — long commutes lead to a host of health problems, from stress and anxiety to respiratory illnesses.

By Blake Aued

12:09 AM EDT on August 14, 2024

Lack of storage capacity — and carrying capacity for kids – is a frequently-cited “personal” barrier to biking that policymakers can do something about. Photo: Mark Stosberg, Unsplash, CC

|Mark Stosberg, Unsplash, CC

Long commutes by car are hazardous to your health, causing stress and anxiety, contributing to obesity and exacerbating respiratory illnesses through exposure to pollution. (The City Fix)
California Republicans are trying to kill the state's high-speed rail project. (Newsweek)
Talks on addressing SEPTA's looming budget crisis are expected to resume this fall, with service cuts possible ahead of a crush of tourists arriving for the 2026 World Cup and MLB All-Star Game. (Axios)
Denver has mainly put its bike infrastructure on side streets, but a draft transportation plan would shift the focus to protected bike lanes on major arterials. (Denverite)
Portland Uber and Lyft drivers held a demonstration calling for higher wages and labor rights. (KOIN)
Kansas City is installing 100 speed humps as part of its Vision Zero program. (Star)
Boston found that using AI software to analyze two intersections resulted in 50-percent less stop-and-go traffic. (The Drive)
The rising number of e-bikes on Atlanta streets call for safer bike infrastructure. (AJC)
Canadian cities like Montreal are having great experience with pedestrianized streets. (New York Times)
A Vancouver transit engineer traveled from his hometown in Canada to Mexico solely by public transportation with minimal walking, and no Greyhound or Amtrak. The trip took nine days. (BBC)
Jalopnik lists the fastest passenger trains in the world and, spoiler alert, none of them is in North America.
A British woman attached an upright piano to a bike and now uses it to travel — and busk — around southwestern England. (Devon Live)