National links: Business groups increasingly support people-centered streets

Business Improvement Districts increasingly support people-centered street redesigns. Dangerous urban heat endangers users of playgrounds and bus stops. Utah launches a first-of-its-kind road pricing pilot.

Business groups go in on bike lanes: Business improvement districts (BIDs) were formed in the 1970s to revitalize downtowns across the country and historically prioritized the needs of drivers. Now, facing challenges posed by post-pandemic employee schedules and remote working options, BIDs across the country are embracing car-free streets and bike infrastructure to create more people-friendly spaces. (John Surico | Bloomberg CityLab)

Our cities need more shade: Shade is often hard to come by as playgrounds and bus stops get really hot in the summer, risking deadly consequences as heat waves become more common. Some measurements in Phoenix, AZ show temperatures getting as high as 160 degrees Fahrenheit at bus stops in the direct sun. But fixing the issue means that cities and government agencies need to get more serious about providing shade and deal with the gauntlet of rules and regulations that make providing cool spaces difficult. (Rebecca Leber | Vox)

Utah launches first-of-a-kind road pricing pilot: The state of Utah announced the launch of a GPS-equipped dongle that will monitor where motorists drive, including which lane they use. This data will help communities decide what road-usage charge to implement based on hyper-local factors and their own priorities. These factors and priorities may include increased fees for express lane usage or a fee structure that considers the needs of low-income drivers who have no alternative. (Kea Wilson | Streetsblog)

Week of the cone: A group of anti-autonomous vehicle activists in San Francisco has found a way to incapacitate driverless taxis by placing orange traffic cones on the hood, angering companies Cruise and Waymo. Also, the activism comes right before an important hearing at the California Public Utilities Commission, where Cruise and Waymo seek to expand the scope of their autonomous vehicles in San Francisco. (Joe Kukura | SFist)

“Activity centers” reduce driving: Researchers at Brookings found that vehicle miles traveled could be reduced by 14,500 miles per year if people lived closer to “activity centers.” These are neighborhoods with a relatively high number of community institutions, amenities, jobs, and tourism destinations. Looking at 110 metro areas, they found people in areas built for proximity reliably traveled shorter distances before, and even after, the pandemic. The benefits of these shorter trips are reduced transportation costs, increased street safety, and lowered emissions. (Adie Tomer & Caroline George | Brookings)

Did PPP loans drive housing inflation? New research from the University of Texas shows that Paycheck Protection Program funds given to struggling businesses during the pandemic were often used fraudulently and may have contributed to home price inflation. The researchers believe that windfalls from fraudulent loans artificially bolstered real estate prices in areas where prices were decreasing or set to decrease prior to the dispersal of PPP loans. (Alexandra Hart | Texas Standard)

Quote of the Week

“The city should focus less on policies of willful denial—landowners imagining high rents and Amazon execs mandating against reality—and focus more on attracting eager small businesses. The city can do this by passing zoning regulations that favor or even mandate smaller square footage spaces. Let the weirdos, not the bros, take the lead in reviving downtown.”

Josh Feit in PubliCola talks about how downtown Seattle can thrive going forward.

This week on the podcast we’re joined by Yale Law professor David Schleicher to talk about his new book, In a Bad State: Responding to State and Local Budget Crises.