Streetsblog Network

Detroit's transit system is in crisis.

Louisville is trying to get a handle on pedestrian safety. An average of 16 pedestrians are killed on the city's streets annually, and the last few years have been getting worse. The city has received funding from the federal government for a three-year safety campaign dubbed "Look Alive Louisville."

Gracen Johnson at Strong Towns has tapped into something universal with her post "Places I Don't Want to Sit." The above photo sums it up nicely: lousy, leftover spaces with public amenities grafted on as an afterthought. Since the whole surrounding parking lot is so hostile to people, why would anyone want to sit there?

Today on the Streetsblog Network, Mary Newsom at the Naked City has a classic story about a dangerous street in desperate need of a design overhaul, and a DOT that's only willing to try out tiny, cosmetic changes.

Five years after New Jersey Governor Chris Christie spiked the ARC transit tunnel to redirect money to roads, politicians are finally discussing how to go about upgrading rail capacity between Jersey and Midtown Manhattan, currently limited to a pair of century-old tunnels under the Hudson River. But just about every announcement related to the proposed Gateway Project comes with a different price tag.

Today the Streetsblog Network is mourning Deb Hubsmith, who died this week at age 45.

What if the United States treated traffic violence like the public health issue it is? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, that would entail building bike infrastructure and slowing down drivers.

On Sunday, Houston debuted an entirely new and improved bus system. The city didn't pass a new transit levy. Instead it put existing resources to use in a way that is designed to maximize frequent service and boost ridership.

We have an update on one of the year's biggest stories on the Network. Remember when Maryland Governor Larry Hogan killed the long-planned Baltimore Red Line so he could spend the funds on road projects? Washington says that decision is about to cost the state $100 million in federal funds.