- 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)
Streetsblog
Wednesday’s Headlines From Around the Nation
By Kea Wilson
Stay in touch
Sign up for our free newsletter
More from Streetsblog USA
Friday Video: Guess Which Argument Can Get a NIMBY To Change Their Mind About New Housing
Put your instincts to the test with this fascinating experiment about the power of messaging to win support for urbanism.
March 20, 2026
Friday’s Headlines Took the Road Less Traveled By
And that has made all the difference, when it comes to preventing traffic deaths.
March 20, 2026
Commentary: How a T-Rex Costume and a Police Sting Underscores Bay Area’s Deadly Driver Problem
Stanley Roberts story is funny. And disturbing.
Study: How Ambiguous Definition of ‘Major Transit Stop’ Creates Wiggle Room for Municipalities
This is a story of how well-intentioned efforts by the state to tie new development to transit hinge on how local governments (with their own incentives) interpret broad state law.
Talking Headways Podcast: Growing St. Louis’s Arts and Culture District
This week on Talking Headways, step inside St. Louis's Grand Center Arts District with the people who make it happen.
March 19, 2026
Advocates Get D.C. Mayor To Release Buried Report On The Potential Benefits Of Congestion Pricing
How many other conversations about congestion pricing across the country are being suppressed — and how many have never even gotten started?
March 19, 2026
