Friday’s Headlines to Wrap Up the Week
A deep dive into the urban freeway demolition trend, plus more evidence that electric and autonomous vehicles aren't great for the climate.
By
Blake Aued
12:00 AM EST on February 18, 2022
- Cities are tearing down — or thinking about tearing down — urban freeways to undo the damage to neighborhoods. But the $1 billion in the federal infrastructure law for such endeavors isn’t even enough to demolish one freeway. (The B1M)
- McKinsey lays out how transit can become more inclusive for women, seniors and people with disabilities.
- Without renewable energy, emissions from generating power to charge electric vehicles will wipe out half the gains from switching to EVs. (Inverse)
- More evidence that autonomous vehicles won’t be good for the environment if they lead to more driving. (GreenBiz)
- Suspending gas taxes is a politically popular idea, but most drivers probably wouldn’t even notice a price drop at the pump. (Route Fifty)
- Developing nations have an opportunity to build transportation infrastructure for people, not cars. (The City Fix)
- California has big plans for sustainable, equitable transportation, but will it stick with them? (Transit Center)
- A San Francisco assemblyman reintroduced a bill to decriminalize jaywalking in California. (NBC Bay Area)
- A $400 million bond issue for San Francisco transit agency Muni will be on the ballot in June. (Railway Age)
- Utah legislators are considering bringing state-funded transit projects under control of the state DOT, which currently focuses almost exclusively on car infrastructure. (Salt Lake Weekly)
- A strike by concrete workers is delaying construction on Seattle transit projects. (KIRO)
- Eight new cameras in Seattle will automatically ticket drivers who block crosswalks and bus lanes. (Fox 13)
- The pedestrian-friendliness of downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul streets varies widely from block to block. (MSP Mag)
- Pennsylvania Avenue between the Capitol and the White House could become a complete street. (DCist)
- Montgomery County, Maryland, can improve access to transit by making stations more walkable. (Brookings)
- WVXU has a podcast on how Cincinnati’s bike infrastructure is progressing.
- A UK cycling group released a master plan for a nationwide biking and walking network, but at this rate it could take 150 years to complete. (The Guardian)
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