Monday’s Headlines to Start the Week
Speed traps for cyclists? You gotta read about that — plus the other news from the weekend.
By
Blake Aued
12:01 AM EDT on October 19, 2020
- Rising traffic deaths during the pandemic have generally been attributed to drivers speeding on empty streets. But it may also be that the type of person who drives cautiously is staying home while the less risk-averse are out and about. (Curbed)
- The new report, Pedestrians First, includes walkability data for 1,000 metro areas around the globe, and shows that U.S. cities are generally less walkable than those in other countries (Intelligent Transport). London, Paris, Bogota and Hong Kong top the list (The Guardian).
- Even before the pandemic wiped out ridership, transit agencies were struggling. Now is a good time to fundamentally rethink how they operate, such as by eliminating fares. (Governing)
- State officials continue to plead with Congress for transit funding. (Axios)
- The Washington Supreme Court ruled that the state’s car-tab repeal is unconstitutional, restoring a key source of funding for transit. (The Urbanist)
- The price tag for Honolulu’s troubled light rail line has risen another $832 million, to $9.9 billion. (Civil Beat)
- The Twin Cities might shut down the Northstar commuter rail line because ridership has fallen by 95 percent. (Star-Tribune)
- A Pennsylvania bill would make it easier to build protected bike lanes on state roads, which is good, but would give neighborhood associations veto power, which is bad. (WHYY)
- The Utah DOT is encouraging walking and biking as a way to reduce congestion and help families stay healthy. (Deseret News)
- Omaha is getting ready to open a bus-only lane for its new bus rapid transit line. (KETV)
- Edinburgh closed streets in its historic district to traffic in July and plans to keep them that way (National Geographic). But in Athens, a plan to turn traffic-clogged streets into tree-lined pedestrian boulevards hasn’t gone so well (City Lab).
- Speed traps for cyclists? Really, Toronto? (VICE)
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:
More from Streetsblog USA
Talking Headways Podcast: Civil Rights, Civic Transport
Let's talk about "disparate impact" — and why the Trump administration wants to gut it.
April 2, 2026
Study: How Capping Vehicle Sizes Could Help Save the World
...and why a multi-pronged transportation reform strategy is critical to curb climate change, slash road deaths, and more.
April 2, 2026
Thursday’s Headlines Take the Long View
Instead of panic moves like gas tax holidays, maybe governments should respond to high gas prices by providing alternatives to driving.
April 2, 2026
Opinion: Complete Streets Alone Don’t Make Complete Places
A well-intentioned focus on making streets that are safer to move along and across often misses the mark on creating places where people want to be.
April 2, 2026
Euclid v. Ambler: A Century-Old Lesson for American Urbanism
Zoning and transportation are two sides of the same coin.
April 1, 2026
Comments Are Temporarily Disabled
Streetsblog is in the process of migrating our commenting system. During this transition, commenting is temporarily unavailable.
Once the migration is complete, you will be able to log back in and will have full access to your comment history. We appreciate your patience and look forward to having you back in the conversation soon.