National links: As we get cars off the road, what should we do with gas stations?

Is it time to rethink the gas station? Dedicated bus lanes are good for US cities. A new map shows transportation emissions are still the top source of greenhouse gases.

What will happen to gas stations in the future?: In the United States today, there are about 130,000 gas stations that service 268 million cars. This soon may change though as electric alternatives to the combustion engines rise and dense, transit-rich cities grow. In Europe, there were 116,000 gas stations operating in Europe, but this number had fallen to 77,000 by the end of 2017. As our transport demands shift, the gas station typology, including their size, aesthetics, and number, is in flux. (Niall Patrick Walsh | ArchDaily)

Dedicated bus lanes work: Earlier this month, New York City transformed 14th Street into a bus-only crosstown thoroughfare. In just two weeks, the M14 now runs twice as fast as other crosstown routes, and the street is calmer and safer. One bus lane in Los Angeles is moving 70 buses per hour. Denver has gone further by developing a double bus lane. Cities trying to curb emissions are looking to these relatively low-cost solutions, including DC. (Alissa Walker | Curbed)

The most detailed map of auto emissions: The New York Times mapped data from Boston University’s Database of Road Transportation Emissions, visualizing the most detailed estimates of local on-road carbon emissions in 2017 throughout the United States. Nearly 60% of transportation emissions come from private automobiles and even as cars become more fuel-efficient, Americans have been driving more, offsetting any benefits. (Nadja Popovich & Denise Lu | New York Times)

Some Millennials are leaving big cities: For the fourth consecutive year, census figures show that millennials and younger Gen X-ers are leaving big cities, with an average of about 30,000 residents between 25 and 39 leaving big cities annually. Telecommuting options and the rising cost of living in cities, especially for families, are seen as reasons for the migration. (Liz Farmer | Realtor.com)

The twilight of autopia: The 1970s saw an energy crisis that destabilized America’s car culture and oil-dependent politics. Americans saw their first-ever peacetime gas shortage in 1973 as demand for fuel outstripped supply, and gas station queues became crowded. Experts at the time found the shortage as an overdue warning for a car-dependent nation, but the US did not listen. (Gabrielle Esperdy | Places Journal)

Quote of the Week

“But the room was full, and not of the usual engineers and lobbyists who come to watch and see where the money is going so they can plan what’s next. A lot of them were people of color. There was a lot of energy.”

Transit Activist Oni Blair in the Texas Tribune on pushback on freeway expansion in the Houston region.

This week on the podcast Eric Jaffe of Sidewalk Labs talks about the company’s Quayside plans in Toronto.