Good news omnibus: June 2023
😎 🌸 🚌
They say no news is good news, but sometimes good news is news. Hearing about good things can even help ease the pain of all the bad things happening in the world.
The 2022 good news omnibus edition of Oversharing was an instant reader favorite. Instead of leaving the next one until 2024, I thought it would be fun to finish each month with a good news roundup, starting with June. Let me know what you think, and happy Fourth of July weekend 🇺🇸 to all the American readers.
Micromobility
Both dockless and docked bike-share usage grew in Europe in the first quarter.
Segway received a third-party verification that meets international standards for its life cycle assessment of several e-scooter models, an industry first.
More U.S. cities are rolling back bans on rental bikes and e-scooters.
Montreal introduced a new 24/7 hotline for reporting vehicles blocking bike lanes.
New York City got a $25 million emergency federal grant to fund e-bike charging stations citywide, after a spate of fires related to people charging batteries at home.
Sales of e-bikes in the U.S. nearly doubled in one year.
Four-wheeled e-cargo bike-vans are replacing traditional delivery vans in cities.
How cool is this solar-powered e-scooter?
If everyone cycled like the Dutch, it would offset a carbon footprint the size of the UK.
+So many e-bike rebates:
British Columbia: Introduced income-based rebates of CAD 350-1,400
Connecticut: Opened applications its voucher program on June 28. Standard vouchers are $500, and up to $1,500 for qualifying residents
Massachusetts: Weighing rebates of up to $750 for qualified buyers
Minnesota: 75% of the cost, up to $1,500; smaller incentives for high-income families; from 2024 with $2 million annual budget
Portland, Oregon: Prioritizing rebates for low-income households for use at local bike shops
Salt Lake County, Utah: Released 1,000 vouchers worth $600-$1,400 (by income and for a regular e-bike vs. e-cargo bike) on a first-come, first-serve basis
Policy and regulation
U.S. cities are starting to ban “right on red,” a notoriously dangerous traffic rule.
Famously congested Los Angeles is getting closer to a congestion pricing scheme.
U.S. Department of Transportation awards $1.7 billion in grants for zero- and low-emission buses across 46 states and territories.
New York state could hike registration fees for heavier passenger vehicles.
After a long and painful slog, New York is full speed ahead on congestion pricing. Kathy Hochul tells angry drivers to take the subway. Say it with me: cleaner air, faster travel times, better public transport.
California threw public transit agencies a lifeline with $5.1 billion earmarked for transport over next three years in new state budget.
Bologna, Italy, will set a flat 30 km/hour speed limit for nearly all streets.
Lyon, France, plans to introduce parking fees based on vehicle weight from 2024.
Paris, following Lyon, adopted a proposal on “progressive” parking fees that would charge more to larger vehicles like SUVs from 2024.
Transport for London’s new Cycling Action Plan aims to double share of Londoners living near a cycle route to 40% by 2030.
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Urban adventures
“Bike buses” are gaining popularity as transport advocates and community organizers help kids cycle to school. Some say they have “kidical” mass.
Sinking San Francisco skyscraper has stopped sinking.
Bus riders can access free digital ‘pop-up’ libraries in Boston, no card required.
LA completes new bus and protected bike lanes as part of “road diet.”
Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo’s new “Street Code” puts pedestrians first, cars last.
Paris firefighters are responding faster than ever, thanks to a vast grid of cycle lanes that help emergency services cut through gridlock.
Paris unveils plan to remake a crowded boulevard with rain gardens, cycle highways, and pedestrian promenades.
Vilnius, Lithuania, set up a water mist system in a public square to help people stay cool in the summer heat.
A new digital tool in Turku, Finland, lets users find a route with the most greenery or the cleanest air, among other parameters.
Other stuff
My friend Walt Hickey’s book, You Are What You Watch, is available for preorder! Walt is a Pulitzer Prize-winner who writes the always excellent Numlock News.
‘Lobster Lady’ turns 103, has been hauling traps for 95 years.
Living near green space could add 2.5 years to your life, study finds.
He wanted to pet dogs for his 100th birthday. Hundreds lined up.
Really appreciate this and its a nice way to fold in your prior posts. I had been meaning to get back to the NYC needs its Jane Jacobs article and this was a nice way to revisit it with more context surrounding it.
feel better after the Supremes hell stone!