- U.S. motorists set a record by driving 3.225 trillion miles last year — and Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao thinks that's a good thing. (Transportation Today)
- In Houston's immigrant communities, many people walk to bus stops. But a third of streets in one such neighborhood lack sidewalks, and the ones that do exist are often obstructed, forcing people to carve out their own unsafe paths. (Houston Public Media)
- Ohio keeps widening highways, even though it can't afford to maintain the ones it's already built. (WCPO)
- The average Detroit driver spends as much on car insurance as some people do on rent. It's so expensive because in Michigan benefits for crash victims are unlimited, combined with some of the worst roads in the country. (Jalopnik)
- In South Carolina — one of the most dangerous states to walk or bike — a Charleston lawmaker is pushing a bill to force SCDOT to adopt Complete Streets. (Post and Courier)
- Oregon legislation would protect cyclists from liability if drivers hit them while they're passing through an intersection. (Portland Tribune)
- Washington, D.C. is seeking proposals from nonprofits to plan and execute a car-free "open streets" event this fall. (Curbed)
- Meet the new head of the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority. (Tampa Bay Times)
- A Vancouver study found that people who live near bike lanes are more likely to be physically active. (Daily Hive and Streetsblog)
- London's congestion pricing zone may undertake a radical plan to keep out polluting vehicles and improve air quality. (BBC)
Today's Headlines
Wednesday’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
