President Trump announced that the Environmental Protection Agency is terminating the Biden administration's regulations limiting methane emissions from oil and gas drilling. Methane remains a potent greenhouse gas, with the oil and gas sector identified as its largest source. This regulatory shift occurs as parts of the country experience temperatures in the 80s during late October.
Critics argue that the fossil fuel industry historically used advertising to manufacture demand for its products, promoting an outdated vision of the American Dream that the current administration continues to support. Meanwhile, economist Noah Kaufmann contends that policies focusing solely on the cheapest ways to cut greenhouse gas emissions are shortsighted. He suggests that such incremental changes yield diminishing returns and fail to account for long-term effects.
In the realm of public transportation, Billy Cooney challenges the argument against subsidizing transit by noting that driving preferences are heavily influenced by existing massive subsidies for automobiles. Several cities are actively pursuing new mobility initiatives. Metro Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority has begun construction on its first arterial rapid transit line, which utilizes signal priority rather than dedicated lanes to offer a faster and cheaper alternative to bus rapid transit.
Other regional developments include ClimatePlan releasing a playbook for California's next governor to increase transit funding and promote walkable communities. In Detroit, the city council's Green Task Force is advocating for complete streets, while Seattle's Sound Transit is considering allowing dogs on buses and trains. Philadelphia has installed new interactive kiosks at bikeshare docks to assist with navigation.
Historical context highlights that Houston prioritized sidewalks over carriageways before the widespread adoption of automobiles. Additionally, a Bloomberg Originals video explains how Hong Kong transit achieves profitability through land-value capture. In New York City, ridership on the LIRR and Metro-North railroads surged within city limits following the MTA's expansion of the $7 peak and $5 off-peak CityTicket program.
Sources: Streetsblog USA.