- In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, transportation systems should be designed so they can easily shift to accommodate more walking and biking, loading zones, outdoor dining and surges in traffic as the need arises. (Planetizen)
- Los Angeles, Miami, Cincinnati and other cities suspended transit service during the recent demonstrations, stranding riders and contributing to the racial and economic injustice that people were protesting. (Transit Center)
- Rep. Scott Perry, a Pennsylvania Republican on the House Transportation Committee, blasted transit agencies’ request for more federal funding to fill the coronavirus-shaped holes in their budgets. (Politico)
- Austin has finalized a $10-billion transit plan that includes three new light rail lines, funded by a property tax hike. Voters will approve or reject the plan in November. (American-Statesman)
- New ridership estimates for Massachusetts’s east-west rail line are much higher than initial forecasts, but the project will need federal funding to come to fruition. Cost estimates range from $2 billion to upgrade existing freight tracks to $25 billion for a new, high-speed electric line. (Mass Live)
- Ridership on the D.C. Metro shot up during last weekend’s protests, prompting the agency to look at adjusting its coronavirus recovery plan. (Washington Post)
- NJ Transit has a five-year, $17-billion plan for bus and rail projects, but only $11 billion to spend. Where will the rest of the money come from? (Spotlight)
- California regulators ruled that Uber and Lyft drivers are employees under the state’s new gig-work law, and ordered the companies to start paying unemployment insurance by July 1. (San Francisco Chronicle)
- The pandemic is far from over, but Denver’s Regional Transportation District is resuming front-door board and fare collection. (Colorado Politics)
- An Atlanta task force is working to untangle the codependent relationship between development and parking. (Saporta Report)
- An investigation is underway in Tulsa after video showed police handcuffing two black teenagers for jaywalking, aka walking while black. (World)
- Germany recently doubled subsidies for electric vehicles and is considering a “gas guzzler” tax on vehicles with high emissions and low mileage. The U.S. already has a similar tax — but SUVs and light trucks are exempt. (Electrek)
- Three autonomous bus companies will start testing prototypes in five European cities later this month. (Cities Today)
Streetsblog
Friday’s Headlines from Our Entire Nation
By Blake Aued
Stay in touch
Sign up for our free newsletter
More from Streetsblog USA
Thursday’s Headlines Are Charged Up for the Fourth
The Republican megabill is bad for the electric vehicle industry, but it could be worse.
July 3, 2025
Why is the Secretary of Transportation Begging Americans to Take More Road Trips?
Instead of making America easier to see on all modes, the US Department of Transportation is encouraging U.S. residents to just get in their cars and drive.
July 3, 2025
Wednesday’s Headlines Are for the Children
From mothers with babies in strollers to preteens on bikes, much of the U.S. is hostile to families just trying to get around without a car.
July 2, 2025
Trump Priorities Spark Sudden Reorganization of Key Transportation Research Body
"It's [an] unprecedented overreach into science."
July 2, 2025
Trump’s DOT Secretary Wants You to Drive to Midwest Landmarks; Here Are Some Car-Free Alternatives
Planning a summer trip? Here are a few Amtrak-accessible destinations.
Ambulance Data Reveals That Boston Drivers Are 4 Times More Likely to Run Over Pedestrians From Black Neighborhoods
"Overall, residents of predominantly Black and Latino neighborhoods are about four times more likely than residents of predominantly white neighborhoods to be struck as a pedestrian."
