Friday’s Headlines
There’s safety in numbers. The flaw in Vision Zero is that it targets deaths alone, discounting close calls, instead of asking why more people don’t ride bikes. (Jalopnik) Having fallen into disuse and disrepair, some of America’s first parking garages are finding new life as mixed-use developments. But parking garages are hard to retrofit, so … Continued
By
Blake Aued
12:01 AM EDT on August 23, 2019
- There’s safety in numbers. The flaw in Vision Zero is that it targets deaths alone, discounting close calls, instead of asking why more people don’t ride bikes. (Jalopnik)
- Having fallen into disuse and disrepair, some of America’s first parking garages are finding new life as mixed-use developments. But parking garages are hard to retrofit, so some architects are now designing them to be easier to turn into something else one day. (Governing)
- Waymo — Google parent company Alphabet’s self-driving car subsidiary — is opening up a treasure trove of data to researchers for free. (Road Show)
- E-scooter provider Bird is ending a program that helped cities pay for new bike lanes over concerns that they’re misusing the funds. (Smart Cities Dive)
- If he’s elected president, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders says he’ll make it easier for “gig economy” workers like Uber and Lyft drivers to unionize. (Gizmodo)
- A massive, must-read Willamette Week project dubbed “Blindsided” shows that Portland’s Vision Zero program isn’t working.
- Volunteers in Washington, D.C. fanned out Wednesday and counted more than 300 vehicles illegally parked in bus-only lanes (Fox 5). Philadelphia has a similar problem, and Philly Mag published a column about drivers parking in bike lanes.
- Virginia’s two-year-old cross-state bus partnership with Megabus, known as Breeze, has exceeded initial ridership estimates by 200 percent. (Greater Greater Washington)
- In addition to a penny sales tax for transportation voters approved last year, Tampa-area officials are also mulling a 5-cent gas tax hike. (WTSP)
- IndyGo’s new CEO wants to make Indianapolis transit one of the most accessible systems in the country. (Star)
- The New Orleans Regional Transit Authority is looking for a new company to oversee passenger ferries. (The Advocate)
- Denver is installing corrals for dockless bikes and scooters in hopes of keeping sidewalks free of clutter. (KDVR)
- San Antonio will launch a “sidewalk squad” next year to patch up two miles of cracked pavement. (Rivard Report)
- How did this Toronto streetcar get in the middle of the woods? The internet wants to know! (Narcity)
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
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
What You Missed in the Transportation Reauthorization This Summer
Congressional negotiations over America's next big transportation law hit some speed bumps this summer — but that doesn't mean there isn't work to be done.
September 16, 2026
Wednesday’s Headlines Pay Through the Nose to Drive
The average American car owner spends about $15,000 a year on their vehicle, according to a AAA analysis of Bureau of Labor statistics.
September 16, 2026
Exclusive: NYC Hires Company To Install E-Car Charging Posts In Public Space
The small expansion of e-car charging stations is a small down payment on the city’s larger plan to permanently allocate more public space for the automobile.
September 15, 2026