Welcome to the week.
Below are the most notable stories that came across my inbox this past week…
What could possibly go wrong?: “The Trump administration is planning to use artificial intelligence to write federal transportation regulations, according to U.S. Department of Transportation records and interviews with six agency staffers.” (ProPublica)
Medford goes backwards: Very unfortunate situation in Medford where city staff and engineers (and a complete absence of local bike advocates?) lost the plot on a main street protected bike lane and now it’ll be removed because it’s unpopular. (Be grateful you have BikePortland because this type of nonsense would not happen on my watch). (OPB)
Nine years: Hoboken, New Jersey has done it again. This small east coast city has once again gone a full year with zero traffic fatalities. The last time someone was killed using a road in Hoboken was January 17, 2017. (Reasons to be Cheerful)
Bike industry radicalization: Bike brands and members of the industry are becoming increasingly political after the killing of Alex Pretti by US Border Patrol officers. Pretti was an avid cyclist and his murder has pushed the usually “posi vibes only bro” bike industry to take stronger stands against Trump. (Cycling Weekly)
Dangerously fast delivery: India is grappling with competing and complex socio-economic issues related to pressure on delivery riders to speed through the streets just to make a buck. (Al Jazeera)
Suburban drivers and tolling: Turns out congestion pricing in New York City has a greater benefit to people who don’t even travel into the city because of how the tolls have reduce trip volumes in general. Please share this article with friends in Clackamas County whose politicians convinced Governor Kotek to scrap tolling plans. (Bloomberg)
Paving incentives: Fascinating example of unintended consequences in Los Angeles, where city officials have stopped repaving streets in order to save money while driving through a loophole in ADA compliance regulations. (City Journal)
How bad are the TriMet cuts, really? Portland-based transit expert Jarrett Walker has weighed in on the proposed service cuts by TriMet. He calls the plan’s impacts “dire” and says local leaders from City of Portland or Metro need to step up to save the day. (Human Transit)
Pick me up: Don’t let state legislators get wind of the fact that automated robotaxis could be a boon for rural communities. I’m afraid it would lead to some policymakers gutting public transit even more. (Driverless Digest)
I dare you, Waymo: The robotaxi company Waymo wants to operate in Portland. If they make any moves, I expect major pushback from City Council and what could be a big showdown over automated vehicle technology and policy. (Willamette Week)
Thanks to everyone who sent in links this week. The Monday Roundup is a community effort, so please feel free to send us any great stories you come across.