Welcome back to our weekly behind-the-scenes glimpse at what’s getting our team talking. Let us know what you think at [email protected].
Street smarts
Congestion pricing in New York City has only been in effect for a few weeks, but already, it’s having a positive impact — and not just on traffic, as Streetsblog New York City reports in a story shared by RTBC Editorial Director Rebecca Worby.
Becca says:
We’ve reported on how congestion pricing makes cities more livable. Here in New York, data has already begun to show that congestion pricing is leading to fewer crashes and fewer injuries.
Just kids
What if you could buy naturally grown food — and trust where it’s coming from — without the farmer who produced it having to go through the complicated process of getting a “Certified Organic” label? That’s the idea behind a new certification, as KBIA reports in a story shared by Executive Editor Will Doig.
Will says:
With so many meaningless buzzwords like “natural” and “humane” stuck on U.S. food products, it’s comforting to buy things with the USDA’s “Certified Organic” label, which is pretty rock solid. The problem is, getting that certification is expensive and bureaucratic, creating a barrier for small farmers. Now a peer-to-peer verification program is working to establish a new certification for naturally grown food that’s just as trustworthy as the USDA’s, but less arduous to get.
What else we’re reading
🛞 How climate-friendly waterwheels are coming around again — shared by RTBC founder David Byrne from The Guardian
🤱 Single Parents Should Get as Much Paid Leave as Couples, Spanish Court Rules — shared by Membership Manager Mariel Lozada from the New York Times
🏗️ Rebuilding After Fire — shared by Will Doig from Curbed
From our readers…
Earlier this month, we published a fun story about the hidden world of hedgehog highways. We’ve gotten some great feedback, but nothing beats this lovely illustration by a reader on Bluesky. Thanks, Teresa!
