Monday’s Headlines From Around the Nation
Look, we love our country, but Europe is eating our lunch on livable streets. That, plus the rest of the day's news — just one click away.
By
Blake Aued
12:01 AM EDT on May 4, 2020
- Oil prices are plummeting, pollution is declining, congestion is disappearing — cities like their virtually car-free streets during coronavirus lockdowns, and many are planning to keep them that way when they end. (BBC)
- European cities like Brussels and Paris are looking to adopt the bike-friendly Dutch model for people to get around post-coronavirus (Politico). The UK’s transportation secretary is issuing emergency funding for pop-up bike lanes (Forbes). France is even paying people 50 euros each for bike repairs (New York Times).
- New York City’s Uber drivers are in a precarious spot, balancing health risks and disappearing fares with bills, families to support and uncertain access to benefits. (New Yorker)
- Black Americans make up 30 percent of bus drivers and other essential workers who often use transit, putting them particularly at risk for COVID-19. (Sierra)
- Remember that the big layoffs at Uber and Lyft don’t include millions of drivers who can’t find any work and aren’t included in the numbers because they’re technically contractors, not employees. (Observer)
- Los Angeles is stopping neighborhoods from closing streets to cars and opening them up to pedestrians and cyclists. (L.A. Times)
- Dallas’s transit agency is preparing for increased ridership as Texans start going back to work (CBS DFW). In the bigger picture, the quarantine is an opportunity to make Dallas more walkable (Morning News).
- A planned new highway in Orlando will do what new highways always do: destroy wilderness and encourage sprawl without solving the problem of congestion. (Sentinel)
- Recent protests calling to “reopen” Colorado have Denver transit officials scared to require riders to wear masks. (Colorado Politics)
- Want restaurants to reopen? Let them put tables in the parking lot. (Slate)
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
Are U.S. Cities Ready for the Robo-Taxi Revolution?
And how can they get ready to regulate the shared AV revolution?
April 28, 2026
Tuesday’s Headlines Pay for Roads Whether We Use Them or Not
Over half of road funding does not come directly from road users, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists.
April 28, 2026
Urban Truth Collective: The One-Hour City Conspiracy
Here's the real conspiracy: Too many people are forced into car-dependent lives, with more health harms, more crashes, more noise, more air pollution, more social isolation — and less space for everything good our streets should be giving us.
April 27, 2026
Monday’s Headlines Introduce the New Green New Deal
To quote the great philosopher Kermit the Frog, "It's not easy being green."
April 27, 2026
How Intercity Bus Lines Are Rebranding To Attract New Riders
Getting people riding the bus isn't just about service; it's also about style.
April 27, 2026
