Recent Streetsblog NYC posts about Around the Block

Nashville Mayor Megan Barry Just Unveiled Her Blueprint to Fast-Track People-Friendly Streets

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Nashville is known as the home of the country music industry -- and a fast-growing region of car-centric sprawl. But local leaders realize they can't accommodate more growth with an outdated, cars-first approach, so Mayor Megan Barry released an action plan yesterday that lays out an ambitious agenda to improve conditions for walking, bicycling, and transit.

Uber’s Latest Feature Reinvents the Wheels on the Bus

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Uber is rolling out a new feature that will encourage people who use its shared-ride service in New York to walk to the nearest intersection, instead of getting picked up at their door. The company hopes that by avoiding looping through congested Manhattan to pick up and drop off multiple people, it will make trips faster and easier -- but Uber is trying to solve a problem that buses solved generations ago.

Don’t Judge Transit By the Gridlock on Nearby Roads

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Sound Transit is beginning to build a light rail line between downtown Seattle and its booming eastern suburbs. It's expected to eventually carry 50,000 riders each day. Parts of the route will run on highways, and the expectation is that the rail line will reduce traffic congestion. This is often how transit projects are framed -- as congestion cures -- and that's a problem, says The Urbanist's Doug Trumm.

Portland — And Soon, Detroit — Bring Bike-Share to People With Disabilities

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Riding a bicycle is too often thought of as an activity that's off-limits for many disabled people. And that has continued to be the case with the bike-share systems getting off the ground in several American cities, which provide standard bicycles meant for the able-bodied. But that's starting to change, thanks to a yearlong effort in Portland that's the first of its kind in the United States.