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Wednesday’s Headlines Hurry Up and Wait

As cities save lives by slowing down traffic, every 5-miles-per-hour increase on interstates increases the chances of death by 8.5 percent.

  • While many cities are lowering speed limits and seeing fewer traffic deaths as a result, states are raising speed limits on freeways, increasing the risk of fatal crashes. (USA Today)
  • The Trump administration is dismantling a Reagan-era program mandating that 10 percent of transportation grants go to small minority- or women-owned businesses. (Equipment World)
  • David Zipper reviews three new books on "car brain." (Bloomberg)
  • Voters in Charlotte and communities in Colorado, Michigan and Washington state have transit referendums on the ballot this November (Smart Cities Dive). Early voting in Charlotte starts this week (WFAE).
  • Meanwhile, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill laying the groundwork for a Bay Area transit referendum in 2026. (San Francisco Standard)
  • The Chicago Transit Authority is proposed to raise fares by 25 cents as it faces a looming fiscal crisis (Tribune). But the problem isn't just in Chicago — downstate Illinois transit agencies are also struggling and want the state to help (IPM News)
  • Seattle's King County Metro is backing off ambitious plans to electrify its bus fleet and is refocusing on trolleys (The Urbanist). Denver's Regional Transportation District is doing the same thing, requesting funds to purchase new diesel models instead (CBS News).
  • Buffalo is working on a "smart curb" plan to manage increasing demand for curbside space. (Smart Cities World)
  • Lisbon voters re-elected their mayor in an election where a recent streetcar crash that killed 16 people was a major issue. (ABC News)
  • The UK's Labour government is nationalizing the nation's privately owned railroads. (The Guardian)

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