- Tuesday night's election was a nail-biter, and it still ain't over yet, but it was a good night for transit, with 13 out of 17 major initiatives on state and local ballots passing. (Streetsblog USA)
- The most closely watched nationally was Prop 22 in California, where voters exempted Uber and Lyft from a state law classifying their drivers as employees entitled to benefits instead of independent contractors (CNN). Mother Jones says the ride-hailing companies essentially bought the election by spending $200 million, which is a pittance when they'll now be allowed to pay drivers as little as $5.64 an hour. But Vice says their business model is doomed anyway.
- Also in California, Measure RR will provide Caltrain with a stable source of funding for the first time. (Streetsblog SF, NBC Bay Area)
- Austin voters overwhelmingly approved the $7-billion Project Connect transit plan (Monitor). They also approved a smaller package of street, trail, bike lane and sidewalk improvements. (KXAN)
- San Antonio also approved a sales-tax measure to expand transit. (Express-News).
- Seattle at least partially replaced a car-tab fee that's faced legal challenges with a sales-tax hike to fund transit. (Seattle Times)
- A tight referendum on transit in the notoriously auto-centric Atlanta suburb of Gwinnett County remains in limbo, though, as absentee ballots are still being counted. A previous attempt in 2018 failed badly, though, so even a close loss would be progress. (Daily Post)
- A $4-billion payroll tax hike for bus service and other transportation improvements bitterly that was bitterly opposed by businesses failed in Portland, though. (Willamette Week)
- However, Bend, Ore., approved a $190-million bond issue that will pay for bike and pedestrian infrastructure, among other things. (Bulletin)
- In other news, charges were dropped against an Asheville, N.C., police officer who pleaded guilty of beating a Black man for jaywalking in 2017. (WRAL)
Streetsblog
Thursday’s Headlines to Keep You Going
By Blake Aued
Stay in touch
Sign up for our free newsletter
More from Streetsblog USA
OPINION: Where Cities are Investing, Vision Zero is Working
As the Vision Zero Network turns 10, it's time to look at what works and what is achievable (a lot!).
November 28, 2025
Friday’s Post-Turkey Headlines Are on Autopilot
While we remain skeptical of driverless vehicles, they do sound nice while in a tryptophan stupor.
November 28, 2025
Book Excerpt Special: Jonathan Lethem’s ‘Program’s Progress’
Class struggle. Infirm secondary superheroes. Suicidal sheep. It’s all in Jonathan Lethem's new collection of short stories, "A Different Kind of Tension." Here's an excerpt — featuring class struggle with cars!
November 26, 2025
Welcome to the Jungle, Wednesday’s Headlines
The COP30 climate summit in the Amazon rain forest exposed world leaders to the effects of climate change, but they still failed to take action.
Blake Aued
November 26, 2025
Safety’s Last for Tuesday’s Headlines
A ProPublica investigation found 30 instances where DOT actions under President Trump endanger lives.
Blake Aued
November 25, 2025
