Monday’s Headlines
The “Seattle Squeeze” is on, as the Alaskan Way Viaduct is now permanently closed. Curbed has a rundown on what Sound Transit is and is not doing to help commuters. Even though it’s January, biking might be the best way to get around, reports the Post-Intelligencer. Less productively, KING chides pedestrians for slowing down traffic by stepping … Continued
By
Blake Aued
12:11 AM EST on January 14, 2019
- The “Seattle Squeeze” is on, as the Alaskan Way Viaduct is now permanently closed. Curbed has a rundown on what Sound Transit is and is not doing to help commuters. Even though it’s January, biking might be the best way to get around, reports the Post-Intelligencer. Less productively, KING chides pedestrians for slowing down traffic by stepping into crosswalks with the clock winding down.
- Although the latest Census numbers show fewer people are regularly cycling to work, the death of bike commuting has been greatly exaggerated. (Bicycling)
- Maryland’s Purple Line is a year behind schedule and $215 million over budget, according to contractors, although the state disputes those figures and says the contractor can do more to accelerate construction. (Washington Post)
- Massachusetts’s new bike plan update calls for treating all modes of transportation equally and reducing the number of short trips made by car. MDOT has $60 million to implement the plan through 2023. (Boston.com)
- Bay Area transit can be unaffordable for minimum wage earners and people on fixed incomes. Is BART’s pay-by-distance system to blame? (Curbed)
- A Cincinnati city councilman has filed a motion to look into Vision Zero as the number of pedestrians injured by drivers continues to rise. (WKRC)
- The federal shutdown could delay Uber and Lyft’s public stock offerings as they await feedback from laid-off regulators. (Fortune)
- While it’s difficult to provide efficient transit service in rural areas, ride-hailing isn’t the answer, either. Only 19 percent of rural Americans use Uber or Lyft. (Vox)
- With parking construction running at $45,000 a space, Vancouver is considering only building parking for visitors, leaving developers on their own. The city could reduce or eliminate parking minimums, as well. (The Columbian)
- Conservative website Townhall concern-trolls cyclists: Biking is dangerous, but instead of making it safer, just discourage people from biking.
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:
More from Streetsblog USA
Why Cities Need More ‘Agile’ Streets
When projects are routed through a full capital-improvement workflow, solutions tend toward expensive, permanent interventions — not alternatives that might achieve 80 percent of the benefit at 10 percent of the cost.
March 26, 2026
Wednesday’s Headlines Feel Pain at the Pump
High gas prices are likely to persist, and people will be driving less in response.
March 25, 2026
D.C. Advocates Sue To Save Key Bike Lane From Trump Teardown
We previously reported that the Trump administration might soon move to dismantle key cycle tracks in the nation's capital. Unfortunately, we were right.
March 24, 2026
How a ‘Universal Basic Neighborhood’ Can Help Americans Live Longer
Want to increase your chances of living to 80? A new paper argues we need to start with our neighborhoods — and we need to do it for everybody.
March 24, 2026
Tuesday’s Headlines Keep Our Eyes on the Road
How much responsibility do tech companies bear for traffic deaths caused by distracted driving?
March 24, 2026
Comments Are Temporarily Disabled
Streetsblog is in the process of migrating our commenting system. During this transition, commenting is temporarily unavailable.
Once the migration is complete, you will be able to log back in and will have full access to your comment history. We appreciate your patience and look forward to having you back in the conversation soon.