- Shaped by Big Oil, auto barons, segregation, mortgage lenders and suburbanites, the American legal system has made car ownership a virtual necessity. Not only that — traffic laws prioritize the safety of car occupants, criminal penalties are less for those who kill with cars, and courts make it difficult to sue those drivers. (The Atlantic)
- Peak SUV is almost here, according to a story behind the Wall Street Journal’s paywall and summarized by the free site Jalopnik.
- Also behind the WSJ paywall: A former airline CEO has almost eliminated Amtrak's operating losses, but not all riders are happy about it.
- Insurance companies will no longer cover ride-hailing companies against sexual assault claims because high payouts to victims have made it too risky. (D Magazine)
- Seattle Times readers want to know why it takes so long — sometimes up to 20 years or more — to build a light rail line. More funding and streamlined planning could speed up the process.
- A Phoenix referendum on halting light-rail construction is coming up in about six weeks, but campaigning on both sides has been low-key so far. (Arizona Republic)
- A new rail line is already bringing a renaissance to four Connecticut town, even before the stations are built. (Hartford Courant)
- Cincinnati just launched its Vision Zero program but is already seeing a small reduction in crashes involving pedestrians versus 2018. (WCPO)
- A former top Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority official alleges he was fired after blowing the whistle on safety issues. (Boston Globe)
- Bike and pedestrian improvements will probably wind up on the chopping block as Marin County, Calif. starts work on three major thoroughfares. (Independent Journal)
- Shuttles that resemble golf carts are popping up in Oklahoma City, and officials are trying to figure out how they fit in with buses, the streetcar, e-scooters and bike-sharing. (Journal Record)
- Apple is trolling Google with a billboard touting iPhone privacy next to Alphabet subsidiary Sidewalk Labs’ data-thirsty “smart neighborhood” in Toronto. (Business Insider)
Today's Headlines
Wednesday’s Headlines
By Blake Aued
Stay in touch
Sign up for our free newsletter
More from Streetsblog USA
Friday Video: Guess Which Argument Can Get a NIMBY To Change Their Mind About New Housing
Put your instincts to the test with this fascinating experiment about the power of messaging to win support for urbanism.
March 20, 2026
Friday’s Headlines Took the Road Less Traveled By
And that has made all the difference, when it comes to preventing traffic deaths.
March 20, 2026
Commentary: How a T-Rex Costume and a Police Sting Underscores Bay Area’s Deadly Driver Problem
Stanley Roberts story is funny. And disturbing.
Study: How Ambiguous Definition of ‘Major Transit Stop’ Creates Wiggle Room for Municipalities
This is a story of how well-intentioned efforts by the state to tie new development to transit hinge on how local governments (with their own incentives) interpret broad state law.
Talking Headways Podcast: Growing St. Louis’s Arts and Culture District
This week on Talking Headways, step inside St. Louis's Grand Center Arts District with the people who make it happen.
March 19, 2026
Advocates Get D.C. Mayor To Release Buried Report On The Potential Benefits Of Congestion Pricing
How many other conversations about congestion pricing across the country are being suppressed — and how many have never even gotten started?
March 19, 2026
