ASC's Intersections Newsletter — October 10, 2025
Nora’s Note
Make mine safe. Hundreds of communities across the U.S. have leveraged grant funding through the federal Safe Streets for All initiative—including the Town of Lloyd in Ulster County, NY, where resident knowledge and input is contributing to the development of approaches to shape safer streets in a “Vision Zero” action plan to eliminate traffic fatalities and reduce injuries on local roads. ASC facilitator Adrienne Kanter led breakouts at the first public meeting last week to collect resident feedback on their top areas of concern, like the need for more sidewalks, changes in road speeds, and better coordination between intersecting roads, helping ensure the work ahead is focused on addressing the community’s needs. Continuing the theme of community-based planning, Town of Lloyd residents will contribute more input through an online safety survey and will come back together later in the study to continue the conversation.
Transportation
New York City’s latest report brings welcome news to those concerned about street safety. In the first nine months of this year, traffic fatalities declined 18% from 2024, culminating in 159 reported incidents, one of the lowest numbers since 1910. Vision Zero, NYC’s street safety program, contributed majorly to this progress with its work on redesigning streets, providing education, and imposing traffic laws. Read more about street safety green lights and roadblocks. (Source: AMNY)
Streetsblog: The MTA is headed to the lab to design the Ridgewood busway
Transport Topics: Derek Barrs takes charge of FMCSA during partial shutdown
The City: North Bronx subway station to get elevators, nearly a decade after ADA lawsuit
Climate
As electric vehicles become increasingly commonplace on our roadways, electric bikes are making even greater inroads. E-bikes are now among the fastest-growing modes of transportation worldwide. With smaller batteries and lower electricity use, they offer affordability, fewer emissions, and reduced resource consumption compared to electric cars. When NYC’s bike share program introduced e-bikes, ridership grew from 500,000 to 1.5 million. Read more in Helping Cities Accelerate E-Bike Adoption - RMI, explore additional analysis from The Conversation, and review ITDP’s overview for further context. (Source: Grist)
Planetizen: Denver, Colorado bursts with dozens of ‘food forests’
Inside Climate News: Farmworkers in the hottest part of California find state funds to cool their homes and save on energy
Canary Media: Major Midwest port begins electrifying operations to reduce emissions
Economic Development
Local grocers in California are expanding partnerships with waste prevention companies to install waste-tracking and recovery systems. The initiative supports California’s SB 1383 law to divert organic waste from landfills, turning unsalvageable food into renewable energy and nutrient-rich soil material. Learn more about how anaerobic digestion technology is helping grocers build a more circular food system and combat food insecurity. (Source: Waste Dive)
Smart Cities Dive: NYC launches effort to rescue at-risk affordable co-ops
Manufacturing Dive: Workforce development and training evolve to meet manufacturing demands
Real Estate NJ: HMFA to sell up to $500 million in state tax credits to fund affordable, workforce housing
Digital
Virginia is leading a national conversation on how to balance data center growth with smart policy. Lawmakers introduced more than 30 bills this session to guide expansion while addressing energy and environmental concerns, offering lessons for other fast-growing tech regions. Read more about how Virginia’s approach could shape the future of sustainable digital infrastructure. (Source: Route Fifty)
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