- As people start to go back to work all over the world, they’re getting into cars instead of getting back on transit (Washington Post). Demand for gas is rising and rush hour is making a comeback because workers are scared of being exposed to coronavirus on a train (Bloomberg). Still, Outside's Eben Weiss is hopeful that measures such as Oakland’s slow streets movement could finally kill off car culture (Outside).
- To avoid a carmaggeddon, Australia is encouraging people who are scared to use transit to walk or bike instead (Yahoo News). The U.K. has committed 5 billion pounds to walking, biking and buses, and will start fast-tracking projects immediately (Forbes). Biking has gotten so popular in the U.K. during the lockdown that many bike shops are sold out (The Guardian).
- To survive, transit agencies will have to take steps to prepare for the next pandemic, experts said at the online Shared Mobility Summit. Meanwhile, ride-hailing companies may have to refocus on major urban areas, and micro-mobility companies will have to become better partners with cities. (Government Technology)
- Uber lost nearly $3 billion in the first quarter of 2020, but analysts say the company has enough cash to survive the coronavirus crisis. (Business Insider)
- Lime and Jump have merged (Streetsblog), and Lime will be temporarily removing its former rival’s bikes from Seattle for maintenance and rebranding. (Seattle Times)
- Elon Musk is reopening Tesla's California plant in defiance of orders meant to slow the spread of coronavirus. (CNN)
- COVID-19 is showing that Houston’s streets aren’t just for commuting by car — more bike lanes and sidewalks are needed in many neighborhoods, according to the city’s first-ever chief transportation planner. (Chronicle)
- A deal to buy an abandoned rail yard south of Denver is likely to fall through, threatening both a planned interstate expansion and future light rail and commuter rail projects. (Colorado Public Radio)
- The St. Paul city council stuck to its guns and denied restaurant owners’ appeal to halt the removal of a few dozen parking spaces to make way for a bike lane. (City Pages)
- A recent poll found that Philadelphia pedestrians are concerned about cracked and blocked sidewalks, construction areas and distracted drivers. (Voice)
Transit
Tuesday’s Headlines From Around the Nation
By Blake Aued
Stay in touch
Sign up for our free newsletter
More from Streetsblog USA
When the Government Says You’re ‘Weaponizing’ Your Car
Immigrations and Customs Enforcement officers have been brutalizing and killing people who they perceive as threats. Is mass automobility multiplying their pretext to do it?
January 12, 2026
Should Monday’s Headlines Carry a Carrot or a Stick?
Human beings generally don't like being forced to do anything, so Grist wonders whether policies like car bans could actually be counterproductive?
January 12, 2026
Chicago Explores Black Perspectives on Public Transit
"We're not going to fix decades of inequitable investment in one year, and things like the high-frequency bus network and the Red Line Extension are really important, but the work isn't done."
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.
January 9, 2026
Friday’s Headlines Are Unsustainably Expensive
To paraphrase former New York City mayoral candidate Jimmy McMillan, the car payment is too damn high.
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.
January 8, 2026
