- Predictably, dense, walkable cities like New York and San Francisco are the “greenest” in the U.S., while sprawling metro areas like Atlanta and Houston are among the dirtiest. Surprisingly, though, some smaller cities like Des Moines ranked high on Streetlight Data’s Transportation Climate Impact Index because, even though they have little to no transit, people don’t drive much anyway. (Fast Company)
- Nashville voters rejected a transit plan in 2018 because the city didn’t meaningfully engage residents in the planning process or leave proponents enough time to campaign, and African-Americans concerned about gentrification joined forces with seniors and tax opponents, according to a new Transit Center report. Cities with transit referendums in 2020, like Cincinnati, San Antonio and Austin, can learn from Music City’s mistakes.
- Curbed takes a deep dive into what Orlando — the nation’s most dangerous city for walking — is doing to make its streets safer.
- Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker is proposing raising fees on Uber and Lyft rides from 20 cents to $1, which would raise $73 million for transit. Baker recently pledged to increase the MBTA’s budget by $135 million this year. (Boston Globe)
- Baltimore missed out on collecting $2.1 million from a tax on Uber and Lyft rides. (Sun)
- The Federal Transit Administration awarded Seattle’s Sound Transit $790 million for the Federal Way light rail extension. (Kent Reporter)
- The Dallas city council sent Silver Line plans back to the drawing board because members objected to elevating part of the track. (Observer)
- Shelby County commissioners can’t agree on how to raise funding for Memphis transit and kicked the can to an ad hoc committee. (Daily Memphian)
- Washington, D.C. has scrapped plans to extend a streetcar line to Georgetown. (WTOP)
- LeBron James and Lyft are offering free bike-share memberships to teens from low-income families, starting in New York, then in Chicago and the Bay Area (CNBC). StreetsblogNYC also caught up with the King, who called for more bike lanes and reminisced about biking as a kid in Akron.
- City of Bikes: Running for re-election in March, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo is doubling down on separated bike paths and banning cars from major streets (City Lab), Paris is also dealing with delivery truck congestion — a common urban problem these days — by building “logistics hotels,” mixed-use buildings in residential neighborhoods that serve as distribution hubs. Warehouses, gas stations and parking garages are targets for such developments (Wired).
- The World Economic Forum in Davos is encouraging attendees to use a slightly less polluting fuel blend in their private jets. Let them use cake instead! (Bloomberg)
Today's Headlines
Friday’s Headlines
By Blake Aued
Stay in touch
Sign up for our free newsletter
More from Streetsblog USA
Krakow is a Polish Pedestrian Paradise
Check out how car drivers simply stop for pedestrians — and not just pedestrians in a crosswalk, but also pedestrians about to enter a crosswalk or even just thinking about maybe entering a crosswalk.
Friday Video: The Secret to Getting People Biking In a Hilly City
Steep streets don't have to put a stop to your city's cycling future.
July 25, 2025
Friday’s Headlines Look to the Future
Despite some minor reforms around the edges under President Biden, U.S. transportation remains a car-centric anachronism.
July 25, 2025
Talking Headways Podcast: Measuring Transportation System Success
Karel Martens on how transportation engineering is good at finding problems but not solving them — and a new tool to measure policy success.
July 24, 2025
What Will It Take to Automatically Brick Drivers’ Cell Phones Behind the Wheel?
The technology to stop cell phone use behind the wheel has existed for years. Why are so few drivers using it – and why aren't lawmakers making them?
July 24, 2025
Thursday’s Headlines See Mixed Results
It's easier to commit to Vision Zero as a concept than it is to actually implement its principles.
July 24, 2025
