A Hard Right Turn: The Moment the U.S. DOT Abandoned U.S. Walkers
Federal transportation officials have never done much to center the needs of pedestrians in their policies or funding decisions. But in 2012, things took a turn for the worse.
11:24 AM EDT on August 21, 2020
Christian has edited StreetsblogMASS since its founding in spring 2019. Before that, he was a data reporter for the Portland Press Herald in Maine.
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