When Road Diets Get Rolled Back, Part I: The Texas Road Diet Massacre

Streetsblog USA writer Kea Wilson contacted me a few weeks ago to get my thoughts on the recent Broadway Avenue fiasco between San Antonio and TxDOT. Here's the first of a series of articles Kea will be publishing on road diet rollbacks and the ongoing battle between local preferences for street design and those of DOTs. If you want to hear more on this, Kea and I recorded our full discussion and we'll be releasing it on our podcast feed next week. –Kevin

The Cost of Avoiding Public Transit During COVID-19

Choosing public transit or your health? Many don't have the option. As the pandemic continues, many groups of people are still burdened with deciding whether to ride public transit or not. For many in carless or one-vehicle households, not using public transit makes essential tasks such as getting groceries or going to work almost impossible. For others, they don't have any other choice. With large amounts of people choosing where they reside based on proximity to transit, this is critical for them. When Americans do not have access to a personal vehicle and are located too far, they are forced to ride public transit regardless of whether they are at higher risk of being exposed to COVID-19. How much longer will this burden go on for? – Karina

Why Everywhere in the US is Starting to Look the Same

Our places are meant to be unique, but our development patterns and recent history has tarnished that uniqueness and turned our cities and towns into "anywhere USA". 

This video highlights some of the different aspects of development, real estate, and incentives that turn unique places from Virginia to Oregon into places that can't be distinguished or differentiated. What can we do to cultivate and promote the heritage and culture that make cities across the country different? Engaging with communities and understanding the resources they have and preserving the heritage they consider a cornerstone of their holistic vision might help to turn the tide for a community that feels like "anywhere USA" today or doesn't want to be just another town on the interstate in the future. – Ryan

Every Customer Has a Name and a Story: How a Century-Old Small-Town Retailer Survives Walmart - The Daily Yonder

This is a make-you-smile story that uses the example of Ruttenberg's, a store in small rural Moundsville, WV, that typifies what locally-owned businesses across the country are facing. It goes a step further to highlight what is making these businesses that have survived work in small rural communities. It might not be groundbreaking insight, but it's a combination of connecting with the community, giving great service to create customers who amplify the business, and getting to know the stories of those who patronize the business. 

If you read through this article, you might have the same questions that hit me after reading: (1) am I doing enough to support local businesses? (2) what am I going to do the next time I catch myself being swayed by convenience? (3) what if my local government used these principles in performing their work? (4) how can I contribute to fostering this approach in the place I call home? –AJ

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