Wednesday’s Headlines From Around the Nation
More curfews, more transit and micromobility shutdowns, more police brutality, more courageous protestors standing up against state-sanctoined violence. Plus, more news.
By
Kea Wilson
12:01 AM EDT on June 3, 2020
- Los Angeles Metro defended its decision to shut down transit service by blaming protestors for graffiting vehicles and preventing a bus from moving through a demonstration, which the agency claims could have endangered the operator (The Source). It also said Metro was “required by law” to transport arrested protestors on behalf of police, even though dozens of cities across the country respected union transit workers who elected to abstain. (Streetsblog LA)
- New curfews went into effect in dozens of U.S. cities last night, some of them indefinitely (Bloomberg). Meanwhile, the mayor of Kansas City, Mo. pledged not to issue one after facing pushback for his police department’s treatment of protestors. (Kansas City Star)
- Dozens of national transportation groups like NACTO and Smart Growth America are issuing statements in solidarity with Black Lives Matter, though most didn’t detail specific accountability actions. (Greater Greater Washington)
- Street safety advocates are calling for a ban on rubber bullets, which police are using to maim protestors in the streets. (Jacobin)
- Philadelphia protestors were gassed while attempting to peacefully shut down an expressway. (Inquirer)
- Voters headed to the polls for candidates like Maya Cummings, who ran on a platform that explicitly framed increasing transit access and funding as social justice issues. (The Nation)
- Uber will let you rent a “personal driver” by the hour now. (USA Today)
- Our road infrastructure wasn’t built for the climate catastrophe that’s almost certainly coming, and experts warn that we need to act soon to adapt it. (Vice)
- Ridership has been low on Austin’s CapMetro during COVID-19, so the agency has used workers and vehicles to deliver 300,000 meals to date. (Mass Transit)
- News from the North: Ottawa will be the first city in Canada to require face masks on transit. (CBC)
- Someone invented an air filter for passenger trains that will remove “more than 90 percent of contaminants per air cycle.” Will it help make transit safer during the ongoing pandemic? (Metro Magazine)
Kea Wilson is Senior Editor for Streetsblog USA. She has more than a dozen years experience as a writer telling emotional, urgent and actionable stories that motivate average Americans to get involved in making their cities better places. She is also a novelist, cyclist, and affordable housing advocate. She lives in St. Louis, MO. For tips, submissions, and general questions, reach out to her at kea@streetsblog.org, or on Bluesky @keawilson.bsky.social.
Read More:
More from Streetsblog USA
Would Ending Seasonal Clock Changes Make Streets Safer for People Outside Cars?
Saturday night Halloween celebrations and a seasonal time change converged this year to create what some fear were uniquely dangerous conditions on US roads. But would ditching the clock change really have saved pedestrian and cyclist lives?
November 2, 2026
Friday Video: The Three Ingredients to a Great Trick-or-Treating Neighborhood
...and how your neighborhood can use good planning and community engagement to get more walkable long past spooky season.
October 30, 2026
Friday’s Headlines (Except Spooky)
Your annual reminder that letting kids safely roam around their neighborhood is not the top priority.
October 30, 2026
Five Simple Hacks to Avoid L.A. City Speed Camera Tickets
Nobody ever tells you about hack number 2! You'll never believe it!
October 29, 2026
Talking Headways Podcast: Architecture Won’t Save a Bad Street
"We have accommodated car convenience over people for five decades — and we need to correct that," says today's guest.
October 29, 2026
