Kate Hinds

New York's MTA is planning to cut back on its bulk discount metro cards, which is especially bad news for passengers who buy monthly passes  (WNYC).  Meanwhile, above ground, the replacement span for the Willis Avenue Bridge is floating into New York Harbor and will be towed up the East River next month.

Up to 30 people were stranded on an Alaskan highway since it flooded this weekend. (Anchorage Daily News)

A California court judges puts a halt to a suicide barrier on a  Santa Ynez Valley bridge and orders the  state DOT to recirculate a portion of the environmental impact report.  Opponents of the barrier say it will obstruct views -- and won't prevent suicides.  (Santa Barbara Daily Sound)

The Florida DOT says its state safety program helped reduce motorcycle fatalities in that state by almost 25% after a decade of increases.  (Sun Sentinel)

How is the Maryland Transportation Authority compensating passengers stranded on last month's "hell train?"  With free...train passes.   But if you're a monthly pass holder, you can't take full advantage of the offer.  (Baltimore Sun)

Early tests seem to suggest that the Toyotas cited for sudden acceleration may have done so because the drivers hit the gas pedal instead of the brake.  (Wall Street Journal)

Will they unpave paradise and put up a park?  Plans to remove the Bronx's Sheridan Expressway gain momentum.  (New York Times)

American Airlines wants to coordinate its trans-Atlantic flights with two European carriers.   The plan has been approved by U.S. regulators; Europeans are mulling it over.  (Marketplace)

Denied: Naples, Florida, won't officially become a bicycle-friendly city until it meets several recommendations.  (Naples Daily News)

Big changes in Connecticut:  Starting August 1, the state may no longer require motor vehicle registration stickers.  Meanwhile, ice cream trucks -- banned from Stratford's streets for decades--return tomorrow, introducing a new generation of children to "the thrill of music that builds to a crescendo as the truck rolls closer, a sign that the ice cream man is coming and cold brown-and-white chocolate Mickey Mouse ears on a stick will soon be in hand."  (Connecticut Post)

A federally-funded study encourages Chicago to embrace congestion pricing.  (Chicago Tribune)

Worldwide, tunneling projects usually cost more than a third over estimate.  This makes Seattle--which is spending over $1 billion for a highway viaduct tunnel -- nervous.  (Seattle Times)

What a difference a year makes: Ford CEO's success is apparently getting him noticed in DC. (Detroit Free Press)

Yuma County's public transportation gets a financial shot in the arm, but it's still on life support. Legislators cite tension between short-term viability, long-term sustainability. (Yuma Sun)

Chicago, Dallas expected to win big when Ray LaHood announces transit grants winners this morning. UPDATE: They did, as did Cincinnati's streetcar project. Complete list of grantees here.

Local transit agencies are providing more rides to more people -- but that number is outpaced by costs, especially in DC. (Washington Examiner)

Winnipeg says yes to light rail, no to BRT. (Winnipeg Free Press)

Disabled duck boat hits barge in the Delaware River; two passengers are missing. Regulations governing duck boats are characterized as "complex." (Philadelphia Inquirer)

North Charleston mayor gets his way: railroad tracks rerouted, neighborhood preserved...but it all hinges on "several potentially expensive" land acquisitions. (Post & Courier)

Skanska's working for the city.  Who's working for Skanska? (more)

New York Magazine says the city's transportation future is not below the streets, but on it.  All hail BRT!

High-speed rail in Florida: why does Orlando's airport get a station--and Tampa's doesn't?  (Tampa Tribune)

The kindest cut?  Some of the MARTA routes slated for elimination carry fewer than one person on a bus per mile.  (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

Life in the  (post- Crown) Victorian era:  Ford's plan to cease production has local police departments making test drives.    Iowa City is leaning towards the Tahoe, California's Tulare County is eyeing the Charger, and Conway, South Carolina, has settled on the Chevrolet Malibu.

What building is the "connective piece for everything?"  One scholar says it's the... parking garage.  (Baltimore Sun)

How can libraries stay relevant in the 21st century?  Well, some are offering drive-thru service.  But does it come with two triple cheese, side order of fries? (Marketplace)

The Transport Politic says that even thought BART continues to be suburban-focused, at least it points the way towards serving a city center.

How will you be celebrating the start of the city’s new fiscal year? Perhaps the same way I did—by investigating “Checkbook NYC,” an online database that New York City Comptroller John Liu’s office officially launched today in beta form.

This is not, as you might expect from the name, an ...

Tesla's IPO takes off; the company is the first American automotive manufacturer to go public since Ford.  It's electric! (New York Times)

Paris mayor wants to close or slow some expressways on the Seine.   (New York Times)

Ice cream trucks grow up:  gourmet purveyors are on the rise on New York's streets.  Can I get a scoop of salted caramel, please?  (WNYC)

JFK's longest runway reopens; repaving cost $348 million and took four months.   Next on the airport's construction wish list: a satellite-based air traffic control system.   (Business Week)

Chicago takes tentative steps towards a bike sharing program  (Streetsblog).  Meanwhile, is there an upside to Detroit's population drain?  Wide open, empty streets are a "bicyclist's paradise."

Yellow light, shades of gray: new research decodes how drivers decide to speed up or slow down.  (Washington Post)

Virginia legislators to enjoy a "real commuting experience" today when they ride the Metro's Orange Line during rush hours  (WAMU).  Meanwhile, Alexandria raises the cost of its parking meters -- and considers eliminating free parking for the disabled.  New policy is called "All May Park, All Must Pay."

Nature--and New Yorkers--abhor a vacuum.  Today's Brian Lehrer Show talks about the private vans cropping up to replace subway and bus cuts.

One of the main reasons WNYC decided to monitor the renovation of the Brooklyn Bridge is that we thought following this $508-million project would provide a good test case for governm...

Guilty plea expected in JFK Airport bomb plot case (New York Times).

The Guardian asks:  If the BP oil spill causes Americans to reconsider driving, how will they do that when many states are slashing public transportation? (The Guardian)

Shuttering two subway lines wasn't enough: New York's MTA plans to sell $600 million in bonds to close $800 million spending gap. (Business Week)

And in Atlanta, the MARTA board votes to kill 40 bus lines, 29 station bathrooms, and shuttles to Braves games. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

Kalamazoo ponders why bus ridership is down for the 5th consecutive month. (Grand Rapids Press)

Oh, if only: one Berlin subway station (helped by Volkswagen) offered its commuters a choice: walk down a flight of stairs -- or slide down. (The Infrastructurist, video)

Once hot, now not: the last Chrysler PT Cruiser will roll off the line in July. (Detroit Free Press)

Domestic planes are now prohibited from languishing on runways. So when a Virgin Atlantic flight recently sat for four hours on the tarmac--without working air conditioning--it wasn't breaking any rules. Legislation including foreign carriers is in the works. (New York Times)

A new advisory committee aims to help the Federal Transit Administration in developing national safety standards for rail. The movement to "federalize safety oversight of rail transit" was spurred by last year's DC Metro crash. (Washington Post)

But how much to tie up to the hitching post? Plans for free shuttles and parking at Kentucky's upcoming World Equestrian Games have been ditched. Now parking will be at least $20 a car--and could be as much as $100. (Lexington Herald-Leader)

A bike-pedestrian option for NH's Memorial Bridge is looking less likely; equally unlikely is the bridge's replacement with a bus transit system. What looks likely: car traffic. (Portsmouth Herald)

Goodbye, X13: Staten Islanders gird themselves for a commute with less express bus service and more confusion. (Staten Island Advance)

Paris tried bike sharing. Now, the city is aiming to start a similar program of a more four-wheeled kind. Bienvenue, electric car sharing! (New York Times)

First, they came for the FDR Drive: The Institute for Transportation and Development Policy's exhibition, Our Cities, Ourselves, opens today in New York. But will the Highline play in Guangzhou? (WNYC)

Denver passes new zoning rules; first overhaul since 1956  (Denver Post)

Judge blocks moratorium on deep water drilling; Obama administration to appeal (The Takeaway)

The Maryland Transit Administration apologizes to passengers stranded on sweltering train, opens probe (WAMU)

Massachusetts lawmakers agree to ban texting while driving (Boston Globe)

Jump-starting new technology: car companies form partnerships to deal with high costs of new energy technology (Detroit News)

The US Department of Transportation backs off from plan to ban peanuts on airlines; Georgia's peanut industry exhales (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

LA subway got 50% bump in ridership from Lakers parade yesterday.  (LA Daily News)

Mmmm! Only 50% of New York's subway cars are rated clean. Just so you know, "clean" means "light dirt." (WNYC)

Meanwhile, across the river, New Jersey's Transportation Trust Fund will run out of money in a year. (Star Ledger)

Arizona will reopen 5 rest areas shut during budget cuts. Drivers rejoice, begin ingesting fluids again. (Arizona Daily Star)

They didn't pave paradise: Forty years later, one MN wetland is still roadless. (Minnesota Public Radio)

Wilmington, NC, is experiencing a bicycle infrastructure boom. No mean feat during a recession. (Star News)

England to sell its first high-speed rail line to raise money. (BBC)

If you buy food from street vendors, you may have noticed a lot more food trucks on the streets. New York City Councilmember Jessica Lappin has -- and now she wants truck operators who get multiple parking tickets to lose their permits.

Lappin, who represents the ...

How do you translate "rumble strip?" Colorado nonprofit teaches English-language road skills to refugees. (Greeley Tribune)

Prepare for takeoff: Spirit Airlines, pilots reach agreement, flights to start tomorrow. (Miami Herald)

If you teach them, they will share the road: Boise police try education, not ticket writing, in an effort to make roads safer for cyclists. (Idaho Statesman)

Light rail versus bus rapid transit: it's a wedge issue in Maryland's gubernatorial race. (Baltimore Sun)

The 2010 census could cost Green Bay Metro roughly $1 million in federal funding . Which doesn't sound like a lot -- except the transit agency's total annual budget is $8 million. (Green Bay Press Gazette)

And how will you be celebrating the fifth annual "Dump the Pump" day? Advocates hope you'll do it on public transit.

Cast your mind back to when Oakland's Madison Square Park was a thriving neighborhood. And then BART came. (KALW)

Yes, you too can solve transportation problems: Slate asks its readers to help create Nimble Cities. (Slate)

Rats! Lower Manhattan subway lines are infested! (WNYC)

Hartford considers repealing skateboard ban -- and maybe even establishing an official skate park. (Hartford Courant)

President Obama, in his first use of the Oval Office to speak to the nation, calls for a new energy policy (New York Times). Meanwhile, new government estimates say BP's blown well in the Gulf of Mexico may be spitting out 60,000 barrels of oil every day. (NPR)

Upturn in the economy, downturn in supplies: road crews grapple with nationwide paint shortage. (WAMU)

Can't we all just get along?  "To say we all can't fit on the road together is ridiculous," says one recently ticketed Black Hawk bicyclist.  (Denver Post)

Rethinking Wichita: city unveils 20-year master plan, idea is to park once and be able to get from one end to the other on transit. (Wichita Eagle)

What's keeping the Cleveland transit authority solvent? Parking lots in suburban areas--and bus bicycle racks. (Cleveland Plain Dealer)

You know what would improve your daily commute? A view. Bring on the gondolas! (Transport Politic)

Senator Boxer: LA must build 30 years worth of transit in ten years. (Huffington Post)

Alabamans wonder: would boycotting local BP stations hurt the oil company--or local mom-and-pop stores? (Anniston Star)

Um, remember how World Cup organizers weren't worried about transportation? Scratch that. (Sport 24, South Africa) But will drivers stuck in traffic jams honk vuvuzelas?

For the fourth time in a year, a hole appears on a Tulsa bridge. Officials say the deck is in fair condition -- but the structure itself is "functionally obsolete." Drivers try not to think of Swiss cheese while crossing it. (Tulsa World)

Feed New Yorkers, not the meters? NYC Council mulling over a bill to get food trucks to stop idling and refilling parking meters. (NY Post)

Who says Americans don't have long memories?  Gas prices are holding steady -- so sales of SUVs are up.  (The Takeaway)

Full-body scans about to become routine at BWI Airport.  (WAMU)

Who should finance transportation: Washington, or local states?  Making the case for a "General Fund."  (The Transport Politic)

Back to square one for the Circle plan:  Indianapolis backs off plan to close iconic central plaza to traffic.  (Indianapolis Star)

Twin Cities community groups get money to study health impacts of light-rail line. (MPR)

Army Corps of Engineers says no to new toll booth in Maine; praises local opposition to toll plaza. (Portsmouth Herald)

Everything old is new again: Texas rep wants to restore--and use--35-year old streetcars. (El Paso Times)

Montana to provide free bus rides today to encourage primary voting.  (Great Falls Tribune).

(Kate Hinds, Transportation Nation) From 1996 to 2001, the New York City Department of Transportation employed about 40 bridge painters; none were female.  In 2007, the United States District Attorney filed a discrimination lawsuit against the city, stating that "the DOT has never hired, extended an offer to hire, or employed a single woman as a Bridge Painter."  In May a Manhattan federal judge found that the City of New York and the Department of Transportation were guilty of, in the judge’s words, “unvarnished sex discrimination...the net result was to exclude qualified and impressive women from pursuing the careers they desired with the City of New York.”  The city says it disagrees with the judge's opinion, it continues to oppose his view.

At issue now is whether four of the women named as plaintiffs will receive back pay; whether three of them will be offered positions as city bridge painters (one woman has said she would not accept it if offered), and what the new procedures governing the hiring of bridge painters should be. The court held a conference on June 1st to discuss these issues.  While no decisions were made and further discussion was scheduled for June 18th, the city contended that the women should not now be appointed to the positions they sought because they haven’t been employed as bridge painters for five of the last ten years.  A rough transcript of the June 1st conference is below.

You can read the judge's decision here.  (PDF)

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6/1/2010 conference at US District Court, Southern District of New York, 500 Pearl Street, part 11D

From 1996 to 2001, the New York City Department of Transportation employed about 40 bridge painters; none were female.  In 2007, the United States District Attorney filed a discrimination lawsuit against the city, stating that "the DOT has never hired, extended an offer to hire, or employed a single woman as a Bridge Painter."  In May a Manhattan federal judge found that the City of New York and the Department of Transportation were guilty of, in the judge’s words, “unvarnished sex discrimination...the net result was to exclude qualified and impressive women from pursuing the careers they desired with the City of New York.”