- Republicans' new coronavirus relief bill, the HEALS Act, includes $10 billion for air travel, but stiffs public transit, even though 90 percent of transit riders post-COVID are essential workers (Streetsblog USA). After the bill dropped, transit agencies nationwide renewed their call for $32 billion in emergency funding to replace decimated fare collections and head off catastrophic service cuts (Washington Post).
- Just as protesters nationwide are toppling Confederate statues, activists in cities like New Orleans are pushing to tear down the urban freeways that resulted from racist policies targeting Black neighborhoods for destruction (Pew Stateline). Many of those freeways were built during Urban Renewal, and the Boston Review has a long history of the program, which at its peak in the 1960s displaced 50,000 Black families a year.
- The League of American Cyclists named a new award for Kittie Knox, a Black woman from Boston who belonged to the organization's precursor and faced discrimination on the racing circuit in the 1890s. (Velo News)
- A new report from the de Beaumont Foundation, Kaiser Permanente, Smart Growth America and the National Complete Streets Coalition gave 29 of the 40 largest cities in the U.S. a gold medal for pedestrian safety, up seven from 2018.
- MIT research shows that many ride-hailing trips are replacing transit rides, rather than trips in private vehicles. In one Chinese city, a third of ride-hailing passengers would have taken transit instead.
- Old tires can be used to build bike-lane barriers that are better than the flimsy plastic poles many cities use. (Fast Company)
- A federal judge ordered New York State to start paying unemployment benefits to Uber and Lyft drivers — a major victory in their fight for labor rights. (NY Times)
- Seattle residents will vote in November on a sales tax to replace the repealed car-tab fee that would raise $42 million a year for Metro buses. (Seattle Times)
- San Francisco supervisors reversed course and approved $40 million for Caltrain, which was in danger of going bankrupt, though permanent funding is contingent on governance reform at the transit agency. (Examiner)
- Dallas Area Rapid Transit generates $10 billion a year for the local economy and over 60,000 construction jobs, according to a University of North Texas study. (Mass Transit Mag)
- Houston is considering an ordinance to fine drivers who park in bike lanes or tow their cars. (Chronicle)
- These delivery robots are coming soon to clutter up a sidewalk near you. (Digital Trends)
Streetsblog
Thursday’s Headlines Served Up Fresh
By Blake Aued
Stay in touch
Sign up for our free newsletter
More from Streetsblog USA
NYC Warns Delivery Apps to Follow New Worker Protection Laws
The Mamdani Administration sent letters to over 60 delivery app companies, warning they must comply with new regulations.
What the ‘Abundance’ Agenda Could Mean For Equitable Transportation
Could Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson's buzzword usher in an era of bountiful transportation options, or just more highways?
January 20, 2026
Tuesday’s Headlines Weigh Perception and Reality
It may be driven largely by the media — car crashes are too common to make the news — but a feeling that transit isn't safe is hurting ridership.
January 20, 2026
Monday’s Headlines Wonder About E-Bikes’ Future
E-bike sales surged in 2020 and 2021 but have been flat ever since.
January 19, 2026
Friday Video: How ‘Car Brain’ Warps the Way We See the World
How can we fix the brains distorted by car culture?
January 16, 2026
Friday’s Headlines Are the Best
People for Bikes named its top bike lane projects of the past year.
January 16, 2026
