- 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
Stay in touch
Sign up for our free newsletter
More from Streetsblog USA
Friday’s Headlines Got DOGE’d Again
Amidst uncertainty about future federal funding, Amtrak is cutting $100 million and 450 jobs.
Friday Video: Where Was the First Public Bus Route in the World?
...and which surprising historical figure helped launch it?
Talking Headways Podcast: ‘Normal’ is Not Correct, Someone Died Here
After a crash, the debris is quickly cleaned up and everyone moves on (usually too quickly). But these two experts are asking us to all slow down.
Thursday’s Headlines Are Not Gonna Pay a Lot for This Truck
President Trump's tariffs, along with rising insurance costs, are driving down Americans' interest in owning a car.
How One Suburb is Using Transit to Transform Into a True City
A Washington State suburb may be poised to evolve into a true transit-oriented hub – and offer lessons for other bedroom communities, even during an anti-transit era.