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Friday’s Headlines Share and Share Alike

It's pretty clear that bike- and scooter-shares reduce car trips, but it may be time to consider a subsidized or nonprofit model for car-shares as well.

Photos: BlueLA/Zipcar|

Car-share programs can boost transportation equity, a 2023 study showed. Philadelphia launched its own program in four public housing complexes.

  • Data is mounting that shared transportation reduces congestion and has massive benefits for the environment. Bikeshares and e-scooters replace car trips, but even car-shares change how people think about the way they use automobiles. (Momentum)
  • If car-sharing is so great, though, why are so many companies going bust? The numbers just don't seem to pencil out for a for-profit business, but maybe nonprofits that look at carshares like a last-mile solution for transit could work. (Fast Company)
  • In a case involving Colorado's challenge to a new railroad that would allow for quadrupling a Utah oil field's production, the U.S. Supreme Court will decide just how far federal agencies can go in determining a project's environmental impact. (Inside Climate News)
  • Automakers are ditching robotaxis because their profits are increasingly coming from software and digital subscriptions that allow for some, but not full autonomy. In other words, sell drivers a car, then make them pay monthly for self-driving features. (Forbes)
  • The EPA approved a California law banning the sale of new gas-powered vehicles by 2035, as well as emissions standards that are stricter than federal requirements. (L.A. Times)
  • The Montana Supreme Court ruled in favor of a group of young people who say the state must consider the impact of climate change on their future when considering projects. (The Guardian)
  • To win broad support for a transit funding package in Massachusetts, residents statewide must be able to see how it benefits them personally, according to a new report from a sustainable transportation group. (Commonwealth Beacon)
  • Dense mixed-use development is already springing up along Maryland's Purple Line, scheduled for completion in 2027. (CNU Public Square)
  • Just in the nick of time, San Antonio won a $268 million federal grant for the bus rapid transit Green Line (SA Report). Chicago was also able to obtain a $1.9 billion grant for the Red Line while the Biden administration is still in office (WTTW)
  • Wisconsin is relying too heavily on its general fund for highway construction and maintenance as gas tax revenue dwindles, according to a new policy report. (Urban Milwaukee)
  • A Texas oil company's carbon capture project has the potential to mitigate climate change, but carries its own environmental risks. (Texas Standard)
  • Birmingham, Alabama is using a federal grant to consolidate two bus lanes and expand microtransit, giving riders better access to jobs. (Birmingham Watch)
  • Barcelona is setting a target of 30,000 parking spaces for bikes. (Cities Today)
  • Windsor is working to educate drivers about new buffered bike lanes. (Star)
  • It's summer in Sydney, and climate change is making children's playgrounds dangerously hot. (Morning Herald)

From the editors: Streetsblog provides high-quality journalism and analysis for free — which is something to be celebrated in an era of paywalls. But the work Streetsblog does is not free; we rely on the generosity of our readers to help support our reporters and editors as they advance the movement to end car dependency in our communities.

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