- The speed and creativity with which cities have transformed transit and streets during the coronavirus pandemic will pave the way for a smoother recovery. (Forbes)
- A disturbing new study found that a third of transportation planners think distracted walking kills — which distracts them from focusing on the real problem, distracted drivers. (Streetsblog)
- Touchscreens in cars are a distraction. Using voice recognition is much safer. (The Economist)
- From installing self-driving software that's not ready for prime time in cars to restarting production at Tesla's California factory in defiance of authorities, Elon Musk's impetuousness is putting workers, drivers and others at risk. (CNN)
- A new nonprofit called the Parking Reform Network will help you fight City Hall. (Strong Towns)
- Reopening New York City requires a plan for safe transit. That means encouraging telecommuting to reduce crowds, overnight closures for cleaning, requiring masks, an emergency network of bus lanes and more federal funding to pay for it all. (City Lab)
- Uber and Lyft would owe California $413 million for unemployment if they considered their drivers employees instead of contractors, according to a UC-Berkeley study. (San Jose Mercury News)
- A casino company wants Miami-Dade to fund a $770 million monorail linking the mainland with South Beach. (Miami Herald)
- Bike-share trips dropped from 158,000 in April 2019 to 23,000 last month, and no rental bikes even remain in the city since the last company in a once-crowded market, Jump, pulled its bikes last week after merging with Lime, which left in December. (KOMO)
- Tucson has adopted the “slow streets” program pioneered by Oakland (KVOA). Boston is also mulling closing streets to cars and turning them over to buses and pedestrians (Herald).
- Portland voters will go to the polls next week to decide whether to renew the city’s gas tax. It’s gotten little opposition so far. (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
- L.A. Metro should just suspend bus fares instead of letting riders pay if they want to. (Transit Center)
- Charlotte has identified locations for three stations along the future Blue Line light rail extension. (Observer)
- Atlanta’s transit agency is among those seeking additional federal coronavirus relief. MARTA projects a $380 million deficit over the next five years. (AJC)
- If everyone in London got back on Tube and headed to work while staying six feed apart, the lines would be over a mile long. (The Guardian)
- We don’t know if this is real, but it’s funny either way!
Streetsblog
Thursday’s Headlines From Around the Nation
By Blake Aued
Stay in touch
Sign up for our free newsletter
More from Streetsblog USA
Thursday’s Headlines: Merry Christmas Edition
We're off today, and we wish you a very Merry Christmas!
December 25, 2025
Don’t Believe the Hype: NJ Turnpike Widening Still Happening
Gov. Murphy's late revision will just move the problem around, advocates say.
Opinion: Can AI Help Stop Car Crashes Before They Happen?
Proactive safety planning can save more lives than waiting until after crashes kill. But what's the proper role of technology in identifying future hot spots?
December 24, 2025
Wednesday’s Headlines Have a Clean Background
Uber isn't doing everything it can to keep violent felons out of the driver's seat, according to the New York Times.
December 24, 2025
Scofflaw Manufacturers Could Be The Downfall of E-bikes
If illegal e-motorcycles are the downfall of legitimate e-bikes, manufacturers and retailers should look themselves in the eye, not blame it on their customers.
Failure of Electric Bus System Means Pollution Will Continue in NYC
The Adams administration gives a major bus company a reprieve from idling laws — because battery-powered systems apparently don't exist yet.
