- Cities’ reliance on fines for minor offenses like jaywalking and traffic infractions disproportionately affects African Americans and contributes to racial injustice (The Hill). Armed police bring biases to traffic stops, and it would be fairer to use impartial cameras to catch speeders instead (Vice). Police killed African Americans like Philando Castile and Walter Scott after traffic stops, so Jalopnik goes a step further and argues for ending them altogether, quoting research showing that most traffic stops don’t actually lead to improved public safety while putting a burden on the poor.
- In the hands of racists, cars are a weapon. (Slate)
- Governing Magazine predicts that COVID-19 could start a period of extended decline for downtowns, but City Lab sees no sign that the allures of urban life are changing.
- Yet another story about the coming “carmageddon” if employees returning to work shun transit and drive instead. (ABC News)
- While research increasingly shows that riding transit is safe during the pandemic, using ride-hailing services is still risky. (Huffington Post)
- To keep riders safer during the pandemic, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority is developing an app to let them know if the next bus or train is full (Boston Globe). New York's Long Island Rail Road has done the same thing (Newsday).
- A proposed California law would fast-track construction of transit, bike and pedestrian projects, prioritizing them over ones that put more cars on the road. (San Francisco Chronicle)
- The Baltimore Sun frets that Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan will turn to the Howard Tunnel rail project to find funding to cover overruns on the Purple Line in suburban Washington, D.C.
- E-scooters will return to Minneapolis in July after the city council votes to expand the number of vendors. (Star-Tribune)
- RideAustin, a nonprofit alternative to Uber and Lyft, is shutting down after struggling with competition and coronavirus. (Mass Transit Mag)
- Germany is requiring all gas stations to have electric chargers to ease concerns about range and boost demand for EVs as part of its coronavirus economic recovery package. (Reuters)
- Milwaukee’s streetcar, The Hop, is facing questions about its long-term future after COVID-19 caused its ridership to plummet (Milwaukee Magazine). Meanwhile, actor Emilio Estevez wants the Cincinnati streetcar up and running again — but you knew that (Enquirer).
Streetsblog
Wednesday’s Headlines from Here, There and Everywhere
By Blake Aued
Stay in touch
Sign up for our free newsletter
More from Streetsblog USA
What If The Rising Costs of Car Dependency Were As Visible As Gas Prices?
Gas station billboards remind U.S. residents every day that driving is getting more expensive. What if they told a different message about the high costs of our autocentric transportation system?
March 16, 2026
Hired Actors, Paid Media: Big Tech Has Dumped $8M Into Car Insurance Rate Cut
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul's scheme to bring down insurance costs is backed by Uber cash and ads with professional actors.
Monday’s Headlines Zero In
Traffic deaths are going down, and they'd decline further if cities stopped letting residents block safety projects.
March 16, 2026
Trump’s Oil Crisis Is Already Costing Massachusetts Drivers Over $2.4 Million A Day In Higher Gas Prices
Massachusetts drivers are now cumulatively spending $20.9 million a day at the pump – more than twice the daily cost of operating the entire MBTA system.
Friday Video: Buenos Aires Will Challenge Everything You Think You Know About Buses
The Paris of South America has an amazing bus system — but it doesn't run like North American ones at all.
March 13, 2026
Friday’s Headlines Change How We Keep Score
The way the U.S. measures traffic death rates skews public perception toward the status quo.
March 13, 2026
