- In the 1980s, light rail was supposed to be a less expensive, more reliable alternative to heavy rail that also lacked the stigma associated with buses. Success was mixed: They helped revitalize downtowns and walkable, transit-oriented neighborhoods, but ultimately the haphazard networks built with little help from the feds failed to get many people out of their cars. (City Lab)
- Last year was the year that electric buses went mainstream, with transit agencies in 45 states either using them or planning to, and school districts starting to modernize their fleets. (U.S. PIRG)
- Uber has done little to address discrimination against riders of color, and recent changes to the app in California could even make the problem worse. (San Francisco Chronicle)
- The opening of Houston’s first bus rapid transit line has been pushed back again, this time to July (Chronicle). Meanwhile, the chief executive in Montgomery County, Maryland, has dropped plans to fund a tunnel underneath downtown Bethesda, which will at least delay the opening of the Purple Line (Washington Post). And safety issues raised by the D.C. Metro's inspector general could delay Silver Line construction (WTOP).
- Minneapolis will spend 18 months and $60 million repairing the 90-year-old 10th Avenue Bridge. The project includes replacing two car lanes with a two-way bike path and sidewalks. (Star Tribune)
- Bikes and cars are expected to share the road in Colorado — an arrangement that makes many cyclists uncomfortable knowing they can be blamed for collisions. A new bill would give cyclists the right of way in bike lanes, fining or jailing drivers who fail to yield. (Denver Post)
- Nashville Mayor John Cooper committed to Vision Zero as the local cycling community mourned the deadliest year in city history last weekend. (Fox 17)
- Philadelphia hasn’t followed through on its ambitious Vision Zero plan. (Philly Mag)
- Lyft is fighting a Georgia plan to require “online marketplaces” that facilitate transactions between individuals, such as ride-share apps and eBay, to collect sales taxes. (CBS 46)
- Maybe it’s wishful thinking, but Curbed expects L.A. to cut the ribbon on the nation’s most extensive network of bike lanes by the end of the 2020s, and a bankrupt Elon Musk to be digging tunnels for utilities instead of cars.
Today's Headlines
Tuesday’s Headlines
By Blake Aued
Stay in touch
Sign up for our free newsletter
More from Streetsblog USA
Talking Headways Podcast: The Lost Subways of North America
Author Jake Berman discusses transit histories through the lens of racial dynamics, monopolies, ballot measures and overlooked cities.
January 15, 2026
A ‘Demographic Time Bomb’ Is About To Go Off — And the Transportation Sector Isn’t Ready
A top firm is warning that the "silver tsunami" will have big implications for the climate, unless U.S. communities act fast.
January 15, 2026
Thursday’s Headlines Shoot for the Moon
What if the U.S. spent anything near what it spends on highways on transit instead?
January 15, 2026
Passenger Rail Is Headed for a Reckoning — and the First 90 Days of 2026 Will Decide It
Railfans: it's time to go full steam ahead.
January 15, 2026
Is it Time to Try Congestion Pricing in San Francisco?
Congestion pricing has been an unqualified success in New York (and lots of other places). Why wouldn't it work elsewhere?
Analysis: What It Would Take To Put America First in Transit Again
No, it won't be easy. Yes, it can be done.
January 14, 2026
