Thursday’s Headlines From Around the Nation
A new study offers more evidence that cars are unhealthy, plus more headlines just a click away.
By
Blake Aued
12:01 AM EDT on October 15, 2020
- Nanoparticles from tailpipe emissions and brake dust found in young people’s brainstems have been linked to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s later in life. (The Guardian)
- The Brookings Institute tracked people’s trips in six metro areas and found that, on average, they traveled over seven miles per trip, and most of those trips could only be made by car.
- To avoid long lines at the polls this year, let people vote in the streets. (Fast Company)
- Arguments are underway in Uber and Lyft’s lawsuit against California seeking to get out of abiding by the state’s new labor law. (Washington Post)
- The Seattle Times urges voters to support a small sales tax hike to support bus service, replacing part of the car tab fee that voters chose to cap last year.
- Austin business owners are organizing against a property tax hike to expand transit. (The Texan)
- Portland is considering a new program allowing doctors to “prescribe” a free bike-share membership to Black residents who have diabetes or high blood pressure. (Oregonian)
- Pittsburgh is eliminating a requirement that townhouses include off-street parking. (Post-Gazette)
- The D.C. Metro is sticking with plans to temporarily close 12 rail stations for maintenance despite its budget crisis. (WAMU)
- I-94 through Wisconsin received an “alternative fuels corridor” designation, meaning charging stations for electric vehicles are ready available. (Fox 6)
- North Dakota police issued more than 500 tickets during a Vision Zero campaign against distracted driving. (AM 1100)
- Chattanooga reversed course and will include e-scooters in its bike-share program. (Chattanoogan)
- Bikelash isn’t just an American phenomenon. Berlin’s pandemic-inspired pop-up bike infrastructure has become a political football. (City Lab)
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
Friday Video: Take Transit to the World Cup … If You Can Afford It
Why are some cities forced to charge high fares to World Cup visitors who want to take the train, while others are giving away rides nearly for free?
May 1, 2026
Good Public Transit + Good Public Funding = Good Public Health
Transit agencies need to do more to remind policy makers of the connection between good public transportation and good public health, a report argues.
May 1, 2026
Friday’s Headlines Walk Warily
Don't be fooled by declining statistics. Walking in the U.S. is still too dangerous.
May 1, 2026
Boston’s New Climate Plan Is At Odds With Boston’s New Transportation Policies
Mayor Wu's climate plan calls on the city to cut traffic and "transform" its transportation system, but City Hall leadership is cancelling and delaying projects that would actually accomplish those goals.
April 30, 2026
Talking Headways Podcast: The Logistics of Package Delivery
Benjamin Fong on out how e-commerce companies like Amazon have built their logistics systems and the difficulty of last-mile delivery.
April 30, 2026
