Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Kevin Xu Shen 沈志文

Kate Lowe (she/hers) @kateontransport.bsky.social · 18d

TRB actions eliminating committees and potentially conference content regarding equity & sustainability are "inconsistent with the foundational purposes of the TRB" & "incompatible with the function of scientific inquiry in a free society" Sign on & share: forms.gle/zBknHfDNUZjj...

Open Letter to the Transportation Research Board

Recently, the TRB made significant changes to its standing committees in response to Presidential Executive Orders, eliminating committees on climate change, equity, sustainability and most environmen...

forms.gle

1 2 8

Reposted by Kevin Xu Shen 沈志文

Kea Wilson @keawilson.bsky.social · Jun 25

So much of transportation advocacy is about how people move, but this survey challenges us to think about how Black people, specifically, simply *exist* in public space, and how that shapes their experience of streets, roads, transit, & more. Grateful to @jaypitter.bsky.social for sharing her work.

New Report Explores The Challenges — and Joys — Of Being Black in Public — Streetsblog USA

Making Black North Americans feel welcome and safe in public isn't just about striking down racist transportation laws — and it may require transportation advocates to think more deeply about joy, a n...

usa.streetsblog.org

6 9

Reposted by Kevin Xu Shen 沈志文

Union of Concerned Scientists @ucs.org · Jun 13

From big cities to rural towns, Pennsylvanians deserve more ways to get around. But decades of disinvestment have left public transit behind while polluting industries profit. UCS’s @kevshen.bsky.social breaks down how the current budget fight could help be the long-term solution the state needs.

The Transit for All PA Funding Package Can Help Keep Pennsylvania Moving

It's time to invest in economic vitality in communities across the state, public health, and affordable transportation options.

blog.ucs.org

4 19

Kevin Xu Shen 沈志文 @kevshen.bsky.social · Jun 11

School graduations, going to work.. even doing your best to navigate the system, going to immigration court hearings and appointments can be risky. "Transportation and immigration are inseparable. If movement is a right, then that right must apply to everyone" Ruth Rosas @americawalks.bsky.social

Union of Concerned Scientists @ucs.org · Jun 9

Mobility is also "about whether people can exist in public without fear. For immigrants, their presence in a public space makes them a target, which is why immigration must be part of the mobility conversation.” Ruth Rosa’s blog hits especially hard today.-@americawalks.bsky.social

Why Immigration Belongs in the Mobility Conversation

For refugees and asylum seekers, mobility is survival.

blog.ucs.org

2 7

Kevin Xu Shen 沈志文 @kevshen.bsky.social · Jun 4

Uber reinvents the bus but worse -- without public accountability or a commitment to serve everyone who needs to get around, rich or poor. Will Route Share complement transit? Or will it gum up the same routes, compete for the same passengers, and cause even more emissions?

Sophie Hurwitz @hurwitz.bsky.social · Jun 3

For my first story @grist.org (!) I took on the perpetual silicon-valley reinvention of the bus, which is happening again grist.org/transportati...

Uber's new shuttles look suspiciously familiar to anyone who's taken a bus

Beyond the jokes about Uber inventing bus lines are serious questions about what its shuttle service will mean for struggling transit systems, air quality, and congestion.

grist.org

3 2

Kevin Xu Shen 沈志文 @kevshen.bsky.social · May 22

Demand for transportation options is growing - people are increasingly choosing transit 🚌🚇. But still over half of the country’s population does not live near any transit whatsoever. Meanwhile, agencies' hard-earned recovery faces the threat of fiscal cliffs.

Read more: blog.ucs.org/kshen/how-mu...

How Much Transit Investment Is Needed to Get Back to “Normal”?

Transit is essential for the climate, our health, and our pocketbooks, but was never set up for success in transportation policy. While transit agencies in the United States have made slight increases...

blog.ucs.org

4 29

Reposted by Kevin Xu Shen 沈志文

Electrify NY @electrifyny.bsky.social · Apr 15

Clean trucks are good for our air, our businesses, and New York’s economy. There’s no reason to bend to corporate polluters — We need @governor.ny.gov and our state leaders to stand up for our life-saving clean air protections and support clean vehicles. More:

cleantechnica.com/2025/04/10/b...

Businesses In New York Support Clean Trucks - CleanTechnica

Two proposed bills in New York would delay the Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) rule.

cleantechnica.com

4 6

Reposted by Kevin Xu Shen 沈志文

Electrify NY @electrifyny.bsky.social · Apr 11

ICYMI: On Wednesday, clean air advocates and lawmakers rallied in Albany to support New York’s life-saving clean truck standard. With clean air under attack, this is not the time for New York to cave to polluter misinformation. Read more:

earthjustice.org/press/2025/l...

Lawmakers, Environmental Justice, and Clean Air Advocates Call on Governor Hochul to Stand Strong for Clean Air Protections

State leaders rally in Albany to urge the Governor to protect the life-saving clean truck standard in final budget and reject industry efforts to gut air protections

earthjustice.org

4 4

Reposted by Kevin Xu Shen 沈志文

Electrify NY @electrifyny.bsky.social · Apr 9

📣 We are joining legislators, clean air advocates, and community members in Albany today to demand that our state leaders protect clean air and keep New York’s life-saving standards in place.

1 6 8

Reposted by Kevin Xu Shen 沈志文

Electrify NY @electrifyny.bsky.social · Mar 31

🏫🎒 Electric school buses will provide fresher air to children, drivers, and the communities they drive through. Let's take a deep breath and embrace this clean energy revolution for a healthier, more vibrant tomorrow.

www.pressconnects.com/story/opinio...

New York schools need more electric school buses. This is why | Opinion

School districts across New York state are transforming student transportation by planning for and adopting zero-emission electric school buses.

www.pressconnects.com

7 11

Reposted by Kevin Xu Shen 沈志文

David Zipper @davidzipper.bsky.social · Mar 17

"It is in the highway lobby’s interest to propagate the myth that [car fees like the gas tax] cover all the impacts of driving, but that has never been true and is becoming ever less so." @ucsdave.bsky.social

The User-Pay Myth: We ALL Pay for Our Roads, Not Just Drivers

It’s time we think harder about what it is we're paying for, for whom and why, and how we pay for it.

blog.ucs.org

1 44 160

Reposted by Kevin Xu Shen 沈志文

Steven Higashide @stevenhigashide.com · Mar 19

I've expanded this thread into a blog post here: bsky.app/profile/ucsu...

Union of Concerned Scientists @ucs.org · Mar 19

In 2018 Musk won a bid for high-speed transit in Chicago. He tried to sell the city on technology that didn’t exist and his proposal was never built. He lied and showed little regard for public services. "We are now seeing the consequences of putting someone like that in a position of power."

Blog:

Transportation Professionals Saw Elon Musk’s Lies and Disdain for the Public Firsthand.

We can't sit on the sidelines now.

blog.ucs.org

1 3

Kevin Xu Shen 沈志文 @kevshen.bsky.social · Mar 19

“In normal times, engineers, planners, and other transportation professionals draw on our training to help make our communities safer, healthier, and more prosperous. In these abnormal times, speaking out helps achieve the same ends.” - @shigashide.bsky.social’s new blog on Musk’s history of lies.

Union of Concerned Scientists @ucs.org · Mar 19

In 2018 Musk won a bid for high-speed transit in Chicago. He tried to sell the city on technology that didn’t exist and his proposal was never built. He lied and showed little regard for public services. "We are now seeing the consequences of putting someone like that in a position of power."

Blog:

Transportation Professionals Saw Elon Musk’s Lies and Disdain for the Public Firsthand.

We can't sit on the sidelines now.

blog.ucs.org

2

Kevin Xu Shen 沈志文 @kevshen.bsky.social · Mar 10

Key take on NEPA: we must protect it from current attacks, and much more is needed, especially for harmful projects like highway expansions.

The current process gives a crucial route to public engagement, but depends on if a project is deemed to have "significant impacts", often a subjective Q.

Kevin Xu Shen 沈志文 @kevshen.bsky.social · Mar 10

It all adds up--check out my latest blog on cumulative impacts and transportation, NEPA, and policies that holistically protect communities from harm.

Esp. in these times, we must hold the line AND keep the vision for a healthy and just future.

blog.ucs.org/kshen/transp... s/o @ourstreetsmn.org

Transportation Burdens Add to All that Communities Are Already Facing

We need a more holistic approach that includes the total cumulative impacts on communities, not a project-by-project approach that can make the impacts seem smaller than they are.

blog.ucs.org

1 7 14

Reposted by Kevin Xu Shen 沈志文

Electrify NY @electrifyny.bsky.social · Mar 6

🚨 This week, legislation was introduced to delay New York's #CleanTruck standards and worsen public health. We urge @govkathyhochul.bsky.social and the legislature to fight corporate interests and protect our environment.

Full statement here: electrifyny.org/wp-content/u...

electrifyny.org

1 7 12

Reposted by Kevin Xu Shen 沈志文

ATHENA @athenax9.bsky.social · Feb 28

"The truth is that standards can be met, and with fewer sales than the opponents of ACCII claim." ⚡🚘@davereichmuth.bsky.social blog.ucsusa.org/dave-reichmu...

What the Auto Industry Isn’t Telling You About California’s Clean Vehicle Rules

Economic benefits for drivers and reduced air pollution

blog.ucsusa.org

3 4

Kevin Xu Shen 沈志文 @kevshen.bsky.social · Feb 24

On Thursday at noon ET, I'll be speaking with folks at ACE and CLF about our report Freedom to Move -- and what the fight looks like on the ground in Massachusetts for more transportation options. See you there?

RSVP: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

Flyer for Freedom to Move webinar on Thursday 2/27 from 12-1:15PM ET

Reposted by Kevin Xu Shen 沈志文

Steven Higashide @stevenhigashide.com · Feb 12

I have not stopped thinking about this chart since my @ucsusa.bsky.social colleague @ucsdave.bsky.social dropped it last year (part of the Freedom to Move report lead-authored by @kevshen.bsky.social - www.ucsusa.org/resources/fr...).

1 3 4

Reposted by Kevin Xu Shen 沈志文

Union of Concerned Scientists @ucs.org · Feb 4

Today is #TransitEquityDay! More transportation options—like transit, walking & biking—benefit the environment, economy, and social equity. Yet, our system prioritizes car dependence due to outdated policies and lobbying. It’s time to invest in a cleaner, fairer future.

@4transitjustice.bsky.social

Why Transit Equity Matters: Investing in a Cleaner, Fairer Future

YouTube video by Union of Concerned Scientists

youtu.be

1 15 46

Kevin Xu Shen 沈志文 @kevshen.bsky.social · Feb 3

Come work with us -- UCS is hiring a Campaign Manager to support our equitable mobility campaign for clean and just transportation options. These are some tough times, and there's lots of work for us to do, together-- apply.workable.com/union-of-con...

Campaign Manager - Union of Concerned Scientists

Campaign ManagerPermanentClean TransportationUnion of Concerned ScientistsRemote Bargaining Unit Position: NoOur organization The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) is an independent nonprofit that p...

apply.workable.com

3 2

Kevin Xu Shen 沈志文 @kevshen.bsky.social · Jan 7

At #TRBAM? Come stop by our booth 1128 and learn about how to use your expertise to push for a sustainable and just transportation system to help all of our communities thrive!

3 5

Reposted by Kevin Xu Shen 沈志文

Union of Concerned Scientists @ucs.org · Dec 21

A recent UCS report shows that by investing in battery recycling, EV efficiency, charging infrastructure, battery innovation, and diverse transportation options, we can electrify cars and trucks while reducing the need for newly mined lithium by nearly 50% through 2050.

How Many Minerals Do We Really Need for EV Batteries?

Reducing electricity use and new minerals will create a more sustainable, resilient, and just transportation system

blog.ucsusa.org

3 33 75

Kevin Xu Shen 沈志文 @kevshen.bsky.social · Dec 22

We worked with some students at Tufts UEP to do just that! Can confirm it’s a great project, they came out with a scorecard to evaluate efforts afterwards— blog.ucsusa.org/science-blog...

What Does Meaningful Community Engagement Look Like in Massachusetts?

Conducting meaningful community engagement processes within transportation projects and plans is vital for fostering inclusive decisionmaking and promoting connected communities.

blog.ucsusa.org

1 2 16

Reposted by Kevin Xu Shen 沈志文

National Association of City Transportation Officials @nacto.bsky.social · Dec 20

This week, @usdot.bsky.social adopted the Public Right-of-Way Accessibility Guidelines (PROWAG), without modifications!

This means that all newly constructed and altered transit stops in the US are subject to accessibility guidelines beginning Jan. 17, 2025. nacto.org/2024/12/19/s...

Statement: U.S. DOT Adopts Accessibility Guidelines for Public Transit Stops | National Association of City Transportation Officials

NACTO Executive Director Ryan Russo issued the following statement in response to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Dec. 18 announcement that it will adopt PROWAG fully, without modification.

nacto.org

1 4 9