Tuesday’s Headlines Turn Up the Heat

• Climate change caused by burning fossil fuels contributed to the past week’s global heat wave that killed thousands, and it’s only going to get worse — next month could be the hottest July in 100,000 years, surpassing 2023. (Washington Post)
• Cities are undermining their climate goals with high taxes and fees on micromobility, according to a new study funded by Lime. Researchers at Portland State and Sonoma State University found that taxes and fees on micromobility devices are more than 20 times higher than those paid by private vehicle owners. (Smart Cities Dive, Streetsblog USA)
• Highway construction costs have risen by 68 percent since 2020. (Eno Center for Transportation)
• “Killed by a Traffic Engineer” author Wes Marshall compares the failure of engineers to build safe roads with the auto industry’s arms race to make ever-bigger SUVs. (The Conversation)
• Soapbox Cincinnati has a recap of this year’s Congress for the New Urbanism convention.
• Despite California officials’ stated commitment to halting freeway widening projects that only induce more traffic, dozens of such projects, like the expansion of I-80 in Sacramento, remain on the books. (Los Angeles Times)
• California regulators approved driverless car company Waymo’s expansion from San Francisco into San Mateo County and Los Angeles. (Government Technology)
• A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit against congestion pricing, dealing another blow to Gov. Kathy Hochul’s rationale for putting it on hold. (Streetsblog USA)
• New York state is offering $32 million in grants for shared electric transportation. (Green Car Congress)
• The Urbanist suggests getting rid of wraparound bus ads on King County buses.
• Once a year people can get a glimpse of Cleveland’s old streetcar system underneath Veterans Memorial Bridge. (Cleveland Magazine)

source https://usa.streetsblog.org/2024/06/25/tuesdays-headlines-turn-up-the-heat