Tuesday’s Headlines CARE a Lot

Photo: SounderBruce, CC
Photo: SounderBruce, CC
  • The CARES Act, CARES II and the American Rescue Plan Act pumped $70 billion into U.S. transit agencies who struggled when farebox revenues declined by half during the pandemic. But the money wasn’t distributed evenly, with smaller agencies getting a bigger share— and now it’s starting to running out. (Eno Center for Transportation)
  • The L.A. Metro is hoping ridership returns to pre-pandemic levels by mid-2023, but for other cities like San Francisco, Chicago, New York and Atlanta, it’s likely to take years long. (Bloomberg)
  • A recent Vision Zero summit emphasized community input and designing streets to avoid driver errors. (Smart Cities Dive)
  • Office workers’ commutes are so miserable that they’re refusing to go back to their cubicles now that they know there’s an alternative. A free transit pass won’t convince them when the average one-way trip is 45 minutes by bus or 70 minutes by rail. (Washington Post)
  • Officials in the San Diego region voted to remove a per-mile road user charge from a $160 billion long-range transportation plan, leaving a $14 billion hole in the budget. (Union-Tribune)
  • A troublesome half-mile tunnel on Minneapolis’ 14-mile Southwest Line is the main reason why the new rail line hasn’t been completed yet. (MinnPost)
  • The D.C. Metro released a map of the Silver Line extension showing the locations of new stations. (WTOP)
  • Many Atlanta residents believe transit agency MARTA should extend light rail into underserved neighborhoods rather than the Beltline’s gentrified Eastside Trail, where people already walk and bike. (Urbanize Atlanta)
  • They may be electric, but it looks like China is about to repeat the United States’ mistake of turning into a car-dependent society. (New York Times)
  • France will spend $250 million on cycling infrastructure and lessons for children, but some advocates say 10 times as much is needed to meet demand. (Forbes)
  • Driving in Paris has fallen by half since 1990, thanks largely to the massive bike and pedestrian improvements made under Mayor Anne Hidalgo and her creation of a low-emissions zone. (Reasons to Be Cheerful)

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