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Today's Headlines

It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s Wednesday’s Headlines

Is our Jetsons future is finally upon us? Plus, a new and better way to measure streets' level of service.

The future? Oy.

|Uber
  • The Trump administration is fast-tracking flying taxis (Reuters), because surely flocks of lightly regulated helicopters hundreds of feet in the air is safer than a train on the ground.
  • Trump's signature "big, beautiful bill" will put $40 billion into the pockets of oil and gas companies over the next decade, on top of the $31 billion a year in subsidies the fossil fuel industry already receives. (Wired)
  • The current method of judging how well a street works, based on the level of congestion, results in wider roads and contributes to sprawl. Instead, the basis should be how many extra miles driven are caused by a new development, which would reward density. (Planetizen)
  • Despite many drivers' belief, new bike lanes hardly take any space away from cars at all. (Momentum Mag)
  • "The Naked Gun" and other movies featuring sendups of autonomous vehicles show that car culture is all about control. (The Urban Condition)
  • The California legislature passed a bill allowing up to nine-story residential buildings near transit stops. (Los Angeles Times)
  • Baltimore broke its record for e-bike and scooter rentals in August with almost 400,000 trips. (MSN/Sun)
  • Charlotte is responding to the furor over last month's light rail stabbing death by putting more police on trains. (NPR)
  • Two weeks of chaos in Philadelphia gave Illinois legislators a sneak peek at what Chicago might face if they don't decide on a transit funding plan. (Sun-Times)
  • Sound Transit is looking at ways to cut costs on the West Seattle Link Extension. (West Seattle Blog)
  • Huntsville received a $22 million federal grant for bike lanes and pedestrian improvements in the Medical District. (AL.com)
  • Crashes in Kalamazoo are on pace to decline 9 percent over last year, which had the fewest in the past decade. (MLive)
  • Cargo bike usage in London doubled between 2022 and 2024. (Zag Daily)
  • After Liberals surprisingly won the most recent election, Canada is fast-tracking a bullet train between Toronto and Quebec City. (High Speed)
  • Outgoing Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante looks back on a successful tenure making the city greener and friendlier to cyclists. (CBC)
  • Bern, Switzerland has a great transit system, even in agricultural areas. (Human Transit)

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