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
- 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)
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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