- In 2020, people drove less, but they drove more recklessly due to a combination of empty streets, less traffic enforcement and a surge in mental health and substance abuse problems. That could continue even after the pandemic ends if former commuters keep working from home. (Wired)
- The pandemic emptied out commuter trains because “super commuters” who traveled more than an hour to the office started working from home instead, probably for good. But while long hours stuck in traffic on the freeway are soul-sucking, those hours on the train had their moments. (City Lab)
- Cities can advance equitable transportation by prioritizing transit over roads, funding transit for essential workers, finding more progressive sources of revenue than sales taxes and doing a better job of engaging community leaders and residents. (Urban Institute)
- For micromobility to succeed, it needs to be as safe and easy to park a scooter or e-bike as it is to park a car. (Smart Cities Dive)
- A parting gift from the Trump administration: Federal agencies finalized a pilot program allowing two states to conduct their own environmental reviews for transportation projects, avoiding federal oversight. (Progressive Railroading)
- Phase II of the Silver Line, 16th Street bus lanes and a new Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge with bike and pedestrian paths are among the transportation projects Washington, D.C. residents can look forward to in 2021. (WAMU)
- Civil Beat looks back on how a Honolulu light rail line went off the rails in 2020.
- The Washington state legislature is gearing up for a fight over whether carbon taxes should be spent on transit, as well as a $16-billion transportation package that has lots of money for bridges and widening freeways. (Seattle Times)
- The Post and Courier calls on Charleston to treat cyclists as well as it does drivers after the city closed a bike lane for six months for road work.
- We believe that children are our future. Teach them well and let them lead the way. (The Conversation)
Streetsblog
Wednesday’s Headlines with Georgia on Our Minds
By Blake Aued
Stay in touch
Sign up for our free newsletter
More from Streetsblog USA
Tuesday’s Headlines Are a Sanctuary
The Trump administration's latest threat would withhold funding from many big-city transit agencies and transportation projects in some blue states with "sanctuary" policies on immigration.
February 4, 2025
This Automaker Is Attacking Sustainable Transportation Even More Than You Think
The world's largest automaker has been ramping up spending to put climate change deniers in Congress, and crushing support for all kinds of sustainable modes in the process.
February 4, 2025
Op-Ed: How Transit Agencies Are Tackling America’s Public Bathroom Crisis
Lack of public restrooms can be a barrier to using transit — and a devastating problem for those who have no choice but to ride. This company is trying to solve the problem.
February 4, 2025
Monday’s Headlines Question Sprawl
Do Americans really want to live in car-centric suburbs, or are they forced to because that's where most of the housing is built?
February 3, 2025
Why Trump’s DOT is Promising More Money to States With Higher Birth Rates
Supporting American families in the transportation realm doesn't mean giving low-population red states more money for highways — even if a new DOT memo suggests that's exactly what they'll do.
February 2, 2025
