- Skynet is closer to becoming self-aware: Uber has nearly secured a $1-billion investment in its autonomous car division, according to Bloomberg. The U.S. Department of Transportation has formed a council to support this emerging technology. (Engadget) In Singapore, Volvo is about to start testing full-size self-driving buses. (also Bloomberg)
- Uber has settled a lawsuit filed by drivers seeking to be classified as employees rather than contractors for $20 million, and so it gets to continue not offering them benefits. (The Verge)
- The next mayor of Chicago should appoint a mobility officer to integrate new technology like ride-sharing and self-driving cars, according to a task force appointed by outgoing Mayor Rahm Emmanuel and chaired by former Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. (Tribune)
- Another study recommends that Denver ease parking requirements because of residents' increasing reliance on Uber and Lyft. (Denver Post; H/T to Streetsblog Denver)
- Thanks to Duke, City Lab declares the Durham-Orange, N.C. light rail line all but dead. And to think, Duke's opposition was entirely a canard, as Angie Schmitt reported for Streetsblog.
- Phoenix voters have approved light rail as part of larger transportation packages three times, but the fourth time might be the charm for transit opponents when the issue is at the polls again in August. (Arizona Republic)
- Milwaukee is relying on its new streetcar to help move people around when 50,000 visitors come to the city for the 2020 Democratic National Convention. (WTMJ)
- The Atlanta City Council will vote Monday on a $100 fine for drivers who park in bike lanes. (AJC)
- Florida drivers say they'll do just about anything to avoid sitting in traffic, according to a survey taken by the private passenger rail company Brightline. (Sun Sentinel)
Today's Headlines
Friday’s Headlines
By Blake Aued
Stay in touch
Sign up for our free newsletter
More from Streetsblog USA
Should Monday’s Headlines Carry a Carrot or a Stick?
Human beings generally don't like being forced to do anything, so Grist wonders whether policies like car bans could actually be counterproductive?
January 12, 2026
When the Government Says You’re ‘Weaponizing’ Your Car
Immigrations and Customs Enforcement officers have been brutalizing and killing people who they perceive as threats. Is mass automobility multiplying their pretext to do it?
January 12, 2026
Confirmed: Non-Driving Infrastructure Creates ‘Induced Demand,’ Too
Widening a highway to cure congestion is like losing weight by buying bigger pants — but thanks to the same principle of "induced demand," adding bike paths and train lines to cure climate actually works.
January 9, 2026
Friday’s Headlines Are Unsustainably Expensive
To paraphrase former New York City mayoral candidate Jimmy McMillan, the car payment is too damn high.
Talking Headways Podcast: Poster Sessions at Mpact in Portland
Young professionals discuss the work they’ve been doing including designing new transportation hubs, rethinking parking and improving buses.
January 8, 2026
Exploding Costs Could Doom One of America’s Greatest Highway Boondoggles
The Interstate Bridge Replacement Project and highway expansion between Oregon and Washington was already a boondoggle. Then the costs ballooned to $17.7 billion.
January 8, 2026
