Wednesday’s Headlines
Public input can be too much of a good thing, as cities wind up catering to the loudest (and often most affluent) voices and fighting misinformation — or sometimes, they can’t get anything done at all, as Austin found when it tried to rewrite its zoning code. (Governing) Uber is back in court as a … Continued
By
Blake Aued
7:20 AM EDT on October 31, 2018
- Public input can be too much of a good thing, as cities wind up catering to the loudest (and often most affluent) voices and fighting misinformation — or sometimes, they can’t get anything done at all, as Austin found when it tried to rewrite its zoning code. (Governing)
- Uber is back in court as a U.K. judge decides whether its drivers are employees with rights or contractors, as the company contends. (Bloomberg)
- This profile of Michigan congressional candidate Rashida Tlaib has some interesting tidbits about how downtown Detroit has become a playground for billionaire developers while the surrounding neighborhoods continue to crumble — specifically, the Q-Line, the new streetcar that seems to function solely to carry suburbanites from one tourist attraction to the next. (Jezebel)
- Milwaukee’s (hopefully more functional) streetcar, The Hop, opens on Friday. (Journal Sentinel)
- Indianapolis will use a $1 per scooter per day fee on e-scooter companies to build bike lanes. The fees are expected to raise between $400,000 and $2.8 million annually. (Star)
- Texas A&M has cut ties with ofo because its auto insurance has lapsed, preventing workers in vans from collecting improperly parked bikes. The company’s 2,300 bikes in College Station will be recycled or repurposed elsewhere. (Eagle)
- The Kansas City Star endorses a gas-tax hike in Missouri, saying it will lead to safer roads.
- At LSU, 14 percent of students, faculty and staff bike on campus because they only have a quarter-mile of bike lanes. (LSU Now)
- Fox fail: A Fresno man was thrown 100 feet by a hit-and-run driver, and the local affiliate led with the fact that he was jaywalking.
- Happy Halloween! Check out this spooky parking garage in Bethesda, Md. But beware: It could … drive you insane. Muwahahaha! (DCist)
Blake Aued has been doing Streetsblog's daily national news digest for years. He's also an Atlanta Braves fan, which enrages his editor in New York.
Read More:
Streetsblog has migrated to a new comment system. New commenters can register directly in the comments section of any article. Returning commenters: your previous comments and display name have been preserved, but you'll need to reclaim your account by clicking "Forgot your password?" on the sign-in form, entering your email, and following the verification link to set a new password — this is required because passwords could not be carried over during the migration. For questions, contact tips@streetsblog.org.
More from Streetsblog USA
Where the Hottest Blocks in Your City Are — And How To Cool Them Down
A cutting-edge tool is helping city leaders identify where they most badly need street trees, bus shelters, and more.
April 15, 2026
Wednesday’s Headlines Hop on Board Carefully
Riding the bus is safe. Walking to and from the bus stop, not so much.
April 15, 2026
Ask An Insurance Industry Insider: Safe Streets Are The Best Way To Bring Down Insurance Costs
Insurance companies and personal injury lawyers exist because streets aren't safe. So shouldn't we start there instead of tweaking a broken system?
April 15, 2026
What If All Cars Were Autonomous, Electric, and Free?
Can we really solve the problems of car dominance just by making cars less destructive?
April 14, 2026
“Why Do We Do This Bill?”: Preparing Congressional Staff for Surface Transportation Reauthorization
A top advocacy organization is preparing Congress to take a critical look at the upcoming transportation reauthorization — and it's not easy.
April 14, 2026