- Realizing they need density to support public transit, make housing more affordable and prevent climate change, a number of cities are rethinking the idea of single-family zoning. (NY Times)
- Pedestrian deaths rose by 35 percent between 2008 and 2017, according to Smart Growth America’s latest Dangerous by Design report. Things got even worse for cyclists and pedestrians in 2018, according to new federal data (Streetsblog).
- Quoting Streetsblog, D Magazine takes Texans to task for accepting over 3,600 traffic deaths a year as merely the cost of doing business. The Houston Chronicle wants to end pedestrian deaths in a city where drivers kill more than 600 people each year (New York City, with four times more people, had one-third that number of road fatalities last year). In San Antonio, more than 100 people gathered to discuss the city’s failing Vision Zero program (Rivard Report).
- New York is extending its year-old freeze on the number of Uber and Lyft drivers in the city. The cap has already helped boost drivers’ wages, and officials hope it will also reduce the amount of time they spend cruising in empty cars. Almost a third of Manhattan traffic is ride-hail vehicles. (Wired)
- The Philadelphia City Council approved a record-breaking nine new bike lanes last week, part of a push to create 20 miles of protected bike lanes by 2020. The city currently only has four. (Philly Mag)
- Cambridge, Mass. — which recently became the first U.S. city to mandate separated bike lanes when roads are reconstructed — is updating its bike master plan and adding bike lanes even where road work isn’t scheduled. (Wicked Local)
- Spokane is ditching plans for light rail in favor of bus rapid transit. (KREM)
- Winston-Salem officials have decided a streetcar connecting two universities is too expensive, and will convert an old rail line into a greenway instead. (Journal)
- Jackson, Miss., residents can ride the bus for free on "Try Transit" day Thursday (WLBT). The El Paso streetcar is free all summer if riders download an app (KFOX).
- Remember that time Baltimore was going to get a subway? (City Lab)
Today's Headlines
Wednesday’s Headlines
By Blake Aued
Stay in touch
Sign up for our free newsletter
More from Streetsblog USA
Talking Headways Podcast: The Public Works Director for Democrats
U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen on the Trump administration's recent guidance for stripping sustainable projects of funding, and why he thinks active transportation advocates should focus on safety.
March 20, 2025
Trump, Republicans Make D.C. Ground Zero in Their War on Cities
The Trump administration is bullying D.C. — and other cities (looking at you, New York) could soon fall in the crosshairs, advocates say.
March 20, 2025
Thursday’s Headlines Won’t Pay For Themselves
The idea that transportation infrastructure should pay for itself is a conservative one, until it isn't.
March 20, 2025
Wednesday’s Headlines Continue Resolving
There isn't much for transit in the continuing resolution Congress passed last week to fund the government for six months.
March 19, 2025
Is the Overnight Train A Luxury or a Necessity?
Before the advent of the car in the 1960s, sleeper trains were America's primary method of long-distance transportation — but today, it's more often seen as a luxury. Is it time for that to change? With the recent fear of air traveling, is the time for a sleeper train's comeback?
March 19, 2025
