Tuesday’s Headlines Are On Cruise Control

• GM driverless car subsidiary Cruise said in a report that its executives’ animosity towards regulators led to a crash where a woman was dragged 20 feet, California suspending its operations and a subsequent federal investigation. (New York Times)
• Inflation is causing infrastructure construction costs to skyrocket and making some firms leery of bidding on transportation projects. (Construction Equipment Guide)
• A new tool from Smart Growth America will tell you how strong your city or state’s complete streets policy is.
• Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s proposed budget includes $288 million for cash-strapped transit agencies like Philadelphia’s SEPTA. (Inquirer)
• California environmentalists and transit advocates are worried that legislators will spend $1 billion in proposed funding to streamline transit on widening highways instead. (San Jose Mercury News)
• The Georgia DOT finally met a highway it didn’t like: An agency study says building a new freeway dubbed I-4 through Texas and the Southeast would not be a cost-effective way to move freight trucks. (Capitol Beat)
• A new task force is looking at revenue options for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. (Commonwealth Beacon)
• Houston is considering dropping out of a regional transit board because much smaller suburban members won’t agree to proportional representation. (Chronicle)
• Pushback has been fierce against New Jersey Transit’s proposed 15 percent fare hike. (Bergen Record)
• A prominent Washington, D.C. rabbi was attacked by a Lyft driver who he believes was reacting to his religious clothing. (Washington Post)
• Valley Metro’s new northwest Phoenix light rail line opened Saturday two years ahead of schedule. (ABC 15)
• The Federal Transit Administration awarded Seattle $64 million for its first RapidRide line that will operate as a trolley with overhead wires instead of a bus. (Seattle Times)
• Tucson is building its first bus rapid transit line (Arizona Republic), and Missoula has approved a study exploring what would be its first BRT line (NBC Montana)
• Uber is appealing a Paris law restricting tourist rideshares, but Mayor Anne Hidalgo’s office says reversing the law would cut into public transit use. (Reuters)

source https://usa.streetsblog.org/2024/01/30/tuesdays-headlines-are-on-cruise-control