Friday’s Headlines from Your World
We expected to have news of the Senate's transit bailout, but Mitch McConnell punted it to next week. So here's all the other news.
By
Blake Aued
12:01 AM EDT on July 24, 2020
- The National Association of City Transportation Officials is backing off a longstanding rule that speed limits should be set based on how fast drivers are already driving. Instead, cities should set a default speed limit of 20 or 25 miles per hour on minor streets and set speed limits on major roads with pedestrian safety in mind. NACTO highlighted the Seattle DOT’s success in issuing the new guidance.
- Contrary to popular belief, suburban sprawl — not urban density — increases the risk of future pandemics. That’s because encroaching on natural habitats makes it more likely that previously unknown viruses will jump from animals to humans. (Arch Daily)
- An MIT task force says it will take at least another decade to create a truly autonomous vehicle. (Venture Beat)
- What if every transit system in the U.S. was called the Metro and had the same logo? Consistent branding could help improve transit’s image, says one advertising executive. (Metro Magazine)
- San Francisco has seen a “significant uptick” in pedestrian deaths recently, and is looking into making design changes on several high-injury corridors. (Hoodline)
- D.C Metro will restore about 70 percent of its pre-pandemic service in August. (Washington Post)
- Two years after voters rejected joining the metro Atlanta transit agency, Gwinnett County officials will ask voters to approve an expansion of its own transit system. (Gwinnett Post)
- Birmingham is only partially funding transit as city officials continue to evaluate the effect of the pandemic on its budget. (WBHM)
- ARLnow has a four-part series on bus rapid transit in Arlington.
- New studies in Lisbon and Toronto show that safe street design encourages more people to bike, according to Sidewalk Labs’ Eric Jaffe. (Medium)
- The UK is considering banning American SUVs because they’re so dangerous to pedestrians. (Streetsblog)
- Stores on London’s high streets could be turned into housing if people continue to shop online. (The Guardian)
Blake Aued has been doing Streetsblog's daily national news digest for years. He's also an Atlanta Braves fan, which enrages his editor in New York.
Read More:
Streetsblog has migrated to a new comment system. New commenters can register directly in the comments section of any article. Returning commenters: your previous comments and display name have been preserved, but you'll need to reclaim your account by clicking "Forgot your password?" on the sign-in form, entering your email, and following the verification link to set a new password — this is required because passwords could not be carried over during the migration. For questions, contact tips@streetsblog.org.
More from Streetsblog USA
What If All Cars Were Autonomous, Electric, and Free?
Can we really solve the problems of car dominance just by making cars less destructive?
April 14, 2026
Tuesday’s Headlines Try, Try Again
Maybe another climate conference can succeed on phasing out fossil fuels where COP30 failed.
April 14, 2026
Push Grows To Move Parking Enforcement From NYPD To DOT
Two community boards want the job to go to the agency already in charge of the streets.
April 13, 2026
Can This Tool Predict Where Your City’s Next Car Crash Will Happen?
But will U.S. transportation leaders use it to take preemptive action to make roadways safer?
April 13, 2026
Monday’s Headlines Show the True Cost of Climate Change
Making cars slightly cheaper in the short run in exchange for accelerating climate change is not a good tradeoff.
April 13, 2026
