Transportation: Page 6

  • An illustration of a high-speed train in California's Central Valley.
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    Courtesy of California High-Speed Rail Authority
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    Tracker

    US high-speed rail projects: The latest news

    Siemens Mobility will build Brightline West’s 220-mph train sets at a new facility in upstate New York, the companies announced Sept. 9.

    By • Updated Nov. 19, 2024
  • Four men at a long table with a large TV screen on the wall behind them.
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    Permission granted by SAE ITC
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    5 recommendations for high-speed rail success

    Decades of efforts to establish true high-speed rail in the U.S. “have not produced the desired outcomes,” a study from New York University’s Marron Institute of Urban Management says.

    By • July 9, 2024
  • smart city, smart cities Explore the Trendline➔
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    jamesteohart via Getty Images
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    Trendline

    Top 5 stories from Smart Cities Dive

    From worsening climate change to a shifting transportation landscape and the housing affordability crisis, cities have their work cut out for them.

    By Smart Cities Dive staff
  • Men and women with shovels in front of a sign reading "President Joe Biden - Investing in America."
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    (2024). [Photograph]. Retrieved from U.S. Department of Transportation.
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    New Virginia-North Carolina intercity passenger rail line starts construction

    Trains could run at up to 110 mph along portions of the route connecting two of the busiest train stations in the Southeast.

    By • July 8, 2024
  • Crowd of people walking through turnstiles at a train station.
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    Eduardo Munoz Alvarez via Getty Images
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    FTA offers $1.9M in grants for tech that improves riders’ public transportation experience

    New payment methods, demand-responsive service and creative financing are among the types of projects that might qualify for a Federal Transit Administration grant program.

    By • July 3, 2024
  • A rendering shows the design of a new green railroad bridge over the Connecticut River.
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    Courtesy of Amtrak
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    Amtrak awards $1.3B bridge contract along Northeast Corridor

    The railway span will replace a 117-year-old structure and allow a 55% increase in maximum speeds for Amtrak trains.

    By Joe Bousquin • July 3, 2024
  • A railroad station in Santa Ana, California.
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    The image by Charlie Nguyen is licensed under CC BY 2.0
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    DOT awards $1.8B in transportation infrastructure grants

    Nearly 150 road, rail, transit and port projects will receive discretionary grant funds from the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity, or RAISE, program.

    By • July 2, 2024
  • People walking across a busy crosswalk in New York City.
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    deberarr via Getty Images
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    Pedestrian traffic deaths declined in 2023 but remain above pre-pandemic levels

    Cities in Texas and California were among those seeing increases in pedestrian deaths from 2020 to 2022, the Governors Highway Safety Association said.

    By • July 1, 2024
  • A worker inspects a 2023 Acura Integra as comes off of the assembly line at Honda's Marysville Auto Plant.
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    Courtesy of American Honda Motor Co., Inc
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    Lack of affordable electric vehicles will limit widespread US adoption until at least 2028: BofA

    Analysts at Bank of America and Bloomberg say U.S. EV penetration rates are slowing and are unlikely to reach 30% by 2030.

    By Robert Walton • June 27, 2024
  • People in coats and masks stand in line against a building behind a metal fence. Many have large backpacks and bags.
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    Spencer Platt/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    What US mayors want from the next president, Congress

    The creation of a first-ever city mental health block grant, affordable housing investments and gun safety legislation are among the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ requests.

    By • June 27, 2024
  • Men and women around a large U-shaped desk.
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    (2024). [Video]. Retrieved from New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority/YouTube.
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    NY MTA board votes to defer congestion pricing plan until everyone agrees on it

    Board members acknowledged that without the agreement of the state and city transportation departments, the tolling program for Manhattan can't go forward.

    By • June 26, 2024
  • When the line is finally completed, new subway stations will be opened at East Harlem at 106th and 116th Streets, and there will be a terminal at the 125th Street station complex on the Lexington Line in Harlem.
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    Spencer Platt/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    MTA halts 2 more NYC projects in funding fight over congestion pricing

    The pause in infrastructure construction is a major setback for the city’s development, said Carlo Scissura, president and CEO of the New York Building Congress.

    By Sebastian Obando • June 26, 2024
  • A rider on a bicycle in a bike lane alongside a sidewalk with people and yellow cabs to the left of the bicyclist.
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    Courtesy of PeopleForBikes
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    The best U.S. cities for biking in 2024

    PeopleForBikes named Minneapolis, Seattle and San Francisco the three best large cities for bicycling in 2024; three other cities were noted for becoming more bike-friendly.

    By • June 26, 2024
  • The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board met to approve the nation's first congestion pricing program.
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    Retrieved from New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
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    MTA votes on New York congestion pricing plan Wednesday

    Gov. Hochul halted the tolling plan for vehicles entering Manhattan's business district. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority's board of directors will vote on it as Inrix names New York the world's most congested city.

    By • June 25, 2024
  • Aerial perspective showing illustration of eVTOL aircraft at a waterfront vertiport.
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    Courtesy of Archer Aviation
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    Air taxi company announces San Francisco Bay Area service plan

    The latest news from urban air mobility companies Archer Aviation and Joby Aviation includes acquisitions and agreements to ready themselves for 2025 flights.

    By • June 24, 2024
  • People on electric scooters.
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    Mario Tama via Getty Images
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    Micromobility taxes, fees often out of sync with city policy goals: study

    The taxes and fees are 23 times higher, on average, than those on private vehicles, according to researchers at Lime and two universities.

    By • June 21, 2024
  • Passengers at a subway station as a train arrives.
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    Permission granted by Dan Zukowski
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    NY congestion pricing pause already has consequences for infrastructure projects

    The region’s transit agency stopped subway extension work that relied on the plan’s revenue. Meanwhile, a final federal approval of the congestion pricing came through.

    By • June 20, 2024
  • A blue and purple bus along a road in Virginia.
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    Courtesy of Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation
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    Virginia, Maine announce new state-supported intercity bus routes

    Both states are looking to expand their intercity bus services using federal and state funds.

    By • June 18, 2024
  • A safety driver monitors a self-driving Kodiak tractor-trailer navigate a turning ramp of a highway.
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    David Taube/Smart Cities Dive
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    Deep Dive

    ‘A totally different world’: Autonomous trucks prepare to go driverless in Texas

    Heavy-duty, driverless AVs could hit the state’s roads this year. The companies operating the vehicles say safety is a priority, but some critics are still concerned.

    By David Taube • June 17, 2024
  • U.S. Rep. Rick Crawford making a statement at a Congressional subcommittee hearing.
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    (2024). "Revenue, Ridership, and Post-Pandemic Lessons in Public Transit" [Video]. Retrieved from T&I Committee Republicans/YouTube.
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    Public transit in the post-pandemic world: Views diverge at congressional hearing

    Some described transit as “essential” and needing stronger federal support, while others focused on the impact of higher costs and reduced ridership.

    By • June 17, 2024
  • People line up to board a double-decker Megabus.
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    Michael M. Santiago via Getty Images
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    Megabus owner Coach USA files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy

    The company has struggled to recover from the plummeting ridership and driver shortages sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic.

    By • June 14, 2024
  • Six construction workers stand on rebar along a viaduct.
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    Courtesy of California High-Speed Rail Authority
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    Building high-speed rail is ‘not for the faint-hearted.’ Here’s how to get started.

    A new document from the U.S. High-Speed Rail Coalition outlines the steps advocates should follow in the early stages of planning a high-speed rail line.

    By • June 13, 2024
  • People holding signs in an ornate building. The largest sign reads, "Gov Hochul don't defund the subway."
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    Permission granted by Riders Alliance
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    Transit agency faces $15B funding gap after NYC congestion pricing reversal

    “We’re going to fight like hell to make sure we don’t have to reduce service,” Metropolitan Transportation Authority chair and CEO Janno Lieber said.

    By • June 12, 2024
  • A Zoox robotaxi drives on a public road
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    Courtesy of Zoox
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    Amazon’s Zoox expands robotaxi testing to Austin, Miami

    The company will use retrofitted Toyota Highlanders with safety drivers instead of its autonomous robotaxi to gather "valuable insights and feedback."

    By Haley Cawthon • June 12, 2024
  • People holding signs and a bullhorn.
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    Uber loses gig worker court decision

    The battle over whether gig workers are independent contractors continues. A separate court case will decide the legality of a Lyft- and Uber-backed ballot measure in California that would define them as such.

    By • June 11, 2024
  • People standing on subway platform with train in motion.
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    Spencer Platt via Getty Images
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    NY governor stops Manhattan congestion pricing plan ‘indefinitely’

    The plan to help fund the transit authority by charging drivers entering Manhattan’s central business district faced fierce opposition from labor unions, taxi drivers and commuters.

    By • June 5, 2024