Wednesday’s Headlines Are for the Children

Climate change is forcing schools to give up their playgrounds when we could be giving up our cars, or at least diesel-powered school buses. Learn more in headlines.

By Blake Aued

12:01 AM EDT on September 18, 2024

St. Terese students in Seattle held their field say in 35th Avenue. Photo: Seattle Public Space Program

Almost 20 million children ride to school each day on diesel buses, which are bad for the environment and for their health. The Biden administration's $5 billion investment in electric buses is a start toward changing that, but not enough. (e360)
As the climate grows hotter, schools are planting more trees and created more shaded spaces. Unfortunately, that often involves tearing up paved athletic courts and playgrounds. (Washington Post)
Car loans have passed student loans to become the second-highest source of debt in the U.S. (Jalopnik)
How walkable is your neighborhood? This interactive map will show you. (Bloomberg)
If we're going to have parking lots, might as well put solar panels on top of them. (Clean Technica)
St. Louis is investing a remarkable $300 million into street safety, primarily due to the Biden administration's American Rescue Plan, but is it too little, too late? (Streetsblog USA)
The Denver city council finalized a $150 annual for most property owners to pay for sidewalk construction and upkeep. (Denverite)
New Denver legislation intends to keep gas stations from taking up space that could be occupied by transit-friendly housing. (Colorado Sun)
Houston Mayor John Whitmire's antipathy toward bike infrastructure and safety improvements in general seems to have originated with a bureaucratic slight involving his own neighborhood. (Chron)
A Baltimore nonprofit is teaching teenagers how to repair bikes. (WYPR)
Madrid is looking at trying to reduce traffic and pollution by using its transit system to deliver packages during off-peak hours. (Global Railway Review)
Plans have been revealed for a new tram across Cardiff. (BBC)
High-speed rail could finally come to Australia in the 2030s. (The Conversation)