A Total Eclipse of Tuesday’s Headlines

• A total solar eclipse visible from parts of the U.S. April 8 is expected to cause massive traffic jams along its path. (Washington Post)
• The Union of Concerned Scientists traces the waxing and waning of U.S. transit funding over the years and calls for more investment.
• The Federal Transit Administration proposed new safety regulations to protect track workers. (Trains)
• A columnist for The Hill says that more cities should call Uber and Lyft’s bluff after the ride-hail giants threatened to leave Minneapolis over a new minimum wage law for drivers.
• Los Angeles residents have a love-hate relationship with driving, but many are not keen on driverless Waymos arriving in the city, citing their sketchy safety record, especially in such a difficult place to navigate. (New York Times)
• A new Atlanta transit station announced by Mayor Andre Dickens, along with three other stations, will connect the Beltline’s Westside Trail to the city’s heavy rail system. (AJC)
• Climate change is becoming a higher priority for voters in conservative, oil- and gas-producing Utah. (Grist)
• Austin environmental officials frowned on a plan to redevelop Lady Bird Lake around a future light rail line, fretting that high rises could harm migratory birds. (Monitor)
• Bucking national trends around bus depots closing, Longview has worked hard to restore intercity bus service to the East Texas town. (Texas Tribune)
• The Cleveland Plain Dealer illustrates how bus rapid transit could spur redevelopment of blighted or vacant properties like an old mall.
• Greensboro, North Carolina’s transit system is going to start focusing more on putting butts in seats than serving the maximum geographic area by prioritizing more frequent service on popular routes. (News-Record)
• A columnist for The Guardian lays out how Labour, if it wins the next election, can improve U.K. transit despite 14 years of Tory austerity.
• The success of Montreal bikeshare BIXI shows that snow and hills don’t have to be impediments to cycling. (Strong Towns)
• Calgary residents are increasing choosing transit, walking and biking over driving. (Herald)
• But not all Canadians are happy that people can safely travel on two feet or two wheels. Red-pilled celebrity psychologist Jordan Peterson wished “woke death” upon the Associated Press for reporting on Hoboken’s Vision Zero success. (Wonkette)

source https://usa.streetsblog.org/2024/03/26/a-total-eclipse-of-tuesdays-headlines