Thursday’s Headlines From Around the Nation

12:01 AM EDT on May 7, 2020

Generally, light rail works best in dense areas near jobs, but instead, many cities have built underused lines to suburbs and airports, according to the Manhattan Institute, a conservative think tank.
States are taking advantage of streets emptied by coronavirus to fast-track repairs (Wired). Or are they? USA Today reports that falling gas-tax revenue is forcing states to postpone construction projects.
Many transit agencies are ditching fares and allowing all-door boarding in an effort to spread out riders. One think tank has a different approach — charge higher fares during peak hours and encourage employers to stagger shifts. (The Guardian)
The New York Times thinks coronavirus is the death knell for dense, transit-oriented developments as we know them. But as City Lab points out, Americans have always had a love-hate relationship with cities, especially in times of pandemic, but density isn't a problem — it's the solution to problems like affordable housing and climate change.
If scooter companies want to survive, they’re going to have to stop clashing with local governments. (Fast Company)
California’s attorney general sued Uber and Lyft alleging that they’re violating a new law categorizing their drivers as employees rather than contractors. (NBC News)
The Washington, D.C. suburb of Arlington County won’t close streets for social distancing because the police chief says they don’t have enough traffic cones. (ARLnow)
The University of Texas is researching a new type of battery that lasts longer and is more sustainable to produce than the lithium-ion batteries currently used in electric vehicles.
This might be Elon Musk's least-crazy idea yet: Turn Tesla into a power utility. It has applied for a license to generate electricity in Great Britain, and its cars’ batteries could prove useful in storing wind and solar energy. (Inverse)
Brussel’s new Green Party transport minister wants to transform the traffic-choked Belgian capital. (Politico)
And, finally, great news: Former Streetsblog USA Editor Angie Schmitt's hotly anticipated book about the rise in pedestrian deaths, "Right of Way: Race, Class, and the Silent Epidemic of Pedestrian Deaths in America," is available for pre-order! (Island Press)

Stay in touch

More from Streetsblog USA

Confirmed: Non-Driving Infrastructure Creates ‘Induced Demand,’ Too

Widening a highway to cure congestion is like losing weight by buying bigger pants — but thanks to the same principle of "induced demand," adding bike paths and train lines to cure climate actually works.

Kea Wilson

January 9, 2026

Today's Headlines

Friday’s Headlines Are Unsustainably Expensive

To paraphrase former New York City mayoral candidate Jimmy McMillan, the car payment is too damn high.

January 9, 2026

Talking Headways

Talking Headways Podcast: Poster Sessions at Mpact in Portland

Young professionals discuss the work they’ve been doing including designing new transportation hubs, rethinking parking and improving buses.

Jeff Wood

January 8, 2026

Streetsblog

Exploding Costs Could Doom One of America’s Greatest Highway Boondoggles

The Interstate Bridge Replacement Project and highway expansion between Oregon and Washington was already a boondoggle. Then the costs ballooned to $17.7 billion.