Tuesday’s Headlines
The micro-mobility revolution might be drawing nearer, but it’s not here yet. Rides on shared bikes and scooters doubled between 2017 and 2018, showing a thirst for alternatives to cars. But three quarters of Americans still drive to work alone — a figure that’s barely budged since 2010. (City Lab) Working with the same National … Continued
By
Blake Aued
12:01 AM EDT on April 23, 2019
- The micro-mobility revolution might be drawing nearer, but it’s not here yet. Rides on shared bikes and scooters doubled between 2017 and 2018, showing a thirst for alternatives to cars. But three quarters of Americans still drive to work alone — a figure that’s barely budged since 2010. (City Lab)
- Working with the same National Association of City Transportation Officials data, Seattle Bike Blog concludes that Seattle is bucking the trend of growth in docked bike-shares and e-scooters. While companies are pulling dockless bikes out of cities like Charlotte (Observer), because Mayor Jenny Durkin has been reluctant to allow scooters, dockless bikes are still thriving in Seattle.
- Sidewalk Labs has been developing lots of ways to help cities gather data to use for transportation planning but have a Big Brother vibe. Now the Alphabet subsidiary is working on technology that will let people know when they’re being watched. (Tech Crunch)
- A steep hill at a Portland university is posing a challenge for engineers on the Southwest Portland light rail line. An aerial tram or funicular might be needed to get riders up it. (Oregonian)
- Minneapolis broke its single-day light-rail ridership record on Apr. 8, when the city hosted the NCAA basketball national championship game. (Star Tribune)
- Boston is urging surrounding cities to get onboard with Vision Zero. (WWLP)
- In a bold move for conservative South Carolina, the Charleston Post and Courier editorial board endorses Complete Streets.
- Uber is working with the University of South Carolina — where a young woman was murdered after getting into what she mistakenly thought was an Uber — on new safety initiatives. (Geek)
- Toyota is among the companies investing $1 billion in Uber’s effort to invent a self-driving car. (Ars Technica)
- Maybe robot cars aren’t so bad, when you think about these drunk-driving Texas twins who, in two separate cars, hit a couple of deputies working a fatal crash. (Houston Chronicle)
- And maybe cars are already self-aware. A Connecticut woman’s SUV mysteriously ran over her after she got out to check on a parking-brake problem. (Stamford Advocate)
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
Friday Video: Why America Hates Bikes (And How to Make It Love Them)
Two of our favorite YouTubers teamed up for a great explainer on the history of anti-bike bias in the United States.
September 18, 2026
Friday’s Headlines Put the Pedal to the Metal
Oh, wait, there are no pedals? Let me try to pull up the brakes on this touchscreen.
September 18, 2026
Are Brain-Rot Transit Ads Ruining Our Commutes?
Advertisements give transit systems across the country badly-needed revenue. But how much is too much?
September 18, 2026
Thursday’s Headlines Are a Gas, Gas, Gas
Key House Republicans killed an irresponsible, politically motivated bill to suspend the federal gas tax.
September 17, 2026
Traffic Noise Kills 6,330 Americans a Year; We Stopped Counting in 1982
Removing just five decibels of noise from our neighborhoods would save lives. So why aren't we even measuring it, never mind taking action to quiet our streets?
September 17, 2026