Tuesday’s Headlines from Around the Nation
Cities like Paris and Milan are planning ahead, while Atlanta can't even extend transit. That, plus the other news from the long weekend.
By
Blake Aued
12:01 AM EDT on May 26, 2020
- The Washington Post takes a look at cities that are closing streets to cars to make room for pedestrians and restaurant diners during the pandemic.
- Informal transit options are crucial for essential workers in many cities — especially in the global South — but they’re just as vulnerable to COVID-19 as ones run by the government. (Wired)
- These Eno Center for Transportation videos explain congestion pricing.
- Notoriously auto-centric and planning-averse Houston has an ambitious plan to fight climate change by electrifying city fleets, spending billions on transit and eliminating parking requirements. (City Lab)
- For all its post-World War II problems, Buffalo has “good bones,” which makes it the perfect guinea pig to find out how mobility innovations actually work on the ground. (Vice)
- As the metro Atlanta suburb of Gwinnett County prepares to — again! — try to convince voters to fund improved transit, no one is sure if or how the federal government will help fund it. (Saporta Report)
- Boston’s Green Line is shut down for a year for construction, with bus rapid transit offered up as an alternative in the meantime. (Globe)
- Los Angeles residents are not pleased with Mayor Eric Garcetti’s proposed cuts to sidewalk repairs and Vision Zero. (LAist)
- Boulder is lowering speed limits on local streets to 20 miles per hour, significantly reducing the risk of death for pedestrians and cyclists colliding with a car (Colorado Daily). Advocates are also pushing to lower speed limits in Denver, where the city is behind on building sidewalks and bike lanes but gets high marks for other safety improvements (Denverite).
- Bus and light rail service cut during the coronavirus pandemic is returning to Charlotte June 8 — along with fares. (Observer)
- A Washington, D.C. report recommends widening sidewalks and reallocating street space to allow for social distancing, as well as free bike-sharing and more safety measures on transit. (Greater Greater Washington)
- New Orleans is starting work on 11 miles of new bike lanes in the Algiers neighborhood. (Times-Picayune)
- The pandemic is sparking a bike revolution in congestion-plagued Latin American cities (Americas Quarterly). The City Fix shines a spotlight on Columbia’s mobility plan, in particular.
- Cities like Paris and Milan have plans to limit cars long after the pandemic ends. (Smithsonian Magazine)
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
What If All Cars Were Autonomous, Electric, and Free?
Can we really solve the problems of car dominance just by making cars less destructive?
April 14, 2026
“Why Do We Do This Bill?”: Preparing Congressional Staff for Surface Transportation Reauthorization
A top advocacy organization is preparing Congress to take a critical look at the upcoming transportation reauthorization — and it's not easy.
April 14, 2026
Tuesday’s Headlines Try, Try Again
Maybe another climate conference can succeed on phasing out fossil fuels where COP30 failed.
April 14, 2026
Push Grows To Move Parking Enforcement From NYPD To DOT
Two community boards want the job to go to the agency already in charge of the streets.
April 13, 2026
Can This Tool Predict Where Your City’s Next Car Crash Will Happen?
But will U.S. transportation leaders use it to take preemptive action to make roadways safer?
April 13, 2026
