Tuesday’s Headlines Get Onboard the Harris/Walz Campaign

Transit, bike and safe streets advocates think the Democratic ticket is not a train in vain. Plus, revisiting the timeless societal benefits of bicycles.

By Blake Aued

1:16 AM EDT on August 20, 2024

Gage Skidmore|

Vice President of the United States Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz speaking at a campaign rally at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona.

More than 500 people joined a Train Lovers for Harris/Walz Zoom call that raised $12,000 for their campaign. (Bloomberg, StreetsblogUSA)
Bikes are 200 years old, but the benefits — physical, social, financial and environmental — are timeless. (World Bank)
Caltrain is replacing diesel trains with electric ones between San Francisco and San Jose, which will immediately improve service and cut emissions while also laying the groundwork for future high-speed rail. (Route Fifty)
Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez calls L.A.'s thousands of cracked sidewalks a "scandal."
Because Chicago privatized on-street parking in 2008, it owes $600,000 for shutting down parking during a NASCAR race. (Tribune)
Traffic deaths in Cleveland are up 40 percent this year, leading cyclists to call for more protected bike lanes (News 5), and in the wake of a horrific cyclist death in Philly, more than 5,000 people in the City of Brotherly Love signed a petition demanding more protection. (WHYY)
Hundreds of bike and pedestrian advocates gathered in Lexington for a conference on how to make Kentucky greener and safer. (WUKY)
Employees of the company that runs Portland's Biketown bikeshare told Bike Portland that Shift Transit ordered them to destroy and throw away 400 bikes that could have been donated or recycled.
Crashes are up, but deaths and serious injuries are down on a Harrisburg street that received the Vision Zero treatment. (Fox 43)
New bike lanes in downtown Albuquerque could be finished this fall. (Journal)
Pittsburgh installed 80 new ticket vending machines at light rail stations. (CBS News)
Transit Twitter is not happy with New York Gov. Kathy Hochul's prime-time speaking slot at the DNC, given that she killed congestion pricing ... and the benefits it would have provided New York City: