- 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
Talking Headways Podcast: ‘The Dawn of the NIMBYs’
"We kind of live in this eternal present of cities being a certain way and always seeming to remain that way." And that's bad, says today's guest.
December 11, 2025
Report: Speed Cameras Working in San Francisco, Floundering in Bureaucracy in L.A.
Great progress and success in the Bay Area, while So Cal lags.
Thursday’s Headlines See Trouble Ahead, Trouble Behind
Yes, it's political, but transit agencies are still going to have to grapple with the perception that it's unsafe.
December 11, 2025
What Is an E-Bike, and What’s an Unlicensed Motorcycle: A Parents’ Guide
The holiday shopping guide for anyone in the e-bike market.
Wednesday’ Headlines Are On Autopilot
Don't be afraid of regulating driverless cars out of existence, writes Angie Schmitt. The industry needs guardrails.
December 10, 2025
City Shuts Down Volunteer Crosswalk Painting Event in Los Angeles
LAPD cited People's Vision Zero volunteer organizer Jonathan Hale for misdemeanor "vandalism on city property."
