Tuesday’s Headlines from Around Our Nation
Some cities want to encourage cycling, but in Washington state, a Republican lawmaker wants to tax bike buyers to help pay for road maintenance. Plus the other news of the day.
By
Blake Aued
12:01 AM EST on February 23, 2021
- File under: Walking while Black. New video shows California police killing a homeless, mentally ill father after confronting him for jaywalking across an empty street last September (CBS This Morning). In Texas, police arrested a teenager for walking home from work down the middle of the road to avoid the icy sidewalk during the recent blizzard (Daily Mail).
- Uber, Lyft and delivery companies spent $200 million to convince California voters that they couldn’t afford to raise drivers’ wages or provide benefits without raising prices — and now they’re raising prices anyway. (The Verge)
- Portland’s new transportation commissioner wants to introduce car-free districts and slow down cars, and is opposed to traffic enforcement, as well as widening I-5. (Bike Portland)
- Massachusetts’ $16 billion transportation bond bill includes $5 billion for transit and $50 million for Complete Streets. (Transport Topics)
- A Fresno congressman has introduced a $32-billion bill to complete a high-speed rail line between Los Angeles and San Francisco. (Streetsblog CAL)
- The Federal Transit Administration is rethinking an auto-centric design for Union Station in Washington, D.C. that include a controversial parking garage. (Washington Post)
- The Cleveland Plain Dealer calls on the Ohio legislature to reject Gov. Mike DeWine’s proposal to slash already-meager state funding for transit.
- Minnesota should rethink the flawed design for the Gold Line bus rapid transit project. (streets.mn)
- New Orleans officials are considering revamping bus and streetcar routes with the goal of getting workers to their jobs within 20 minutes. (Times-Picayune)
- Texas residents used their hybrid pickup trucks to run appliances during the recent blackout, which could become a selling point for the ginormous vehicles. (Core 77)
- A bill introduced by a Washington State Republican would tax bike buyers and transit users to help pay for road maintenance. (Seattle Times)
- Gainesville is planning pedestrian safety improvements to two streets where drivers have killed University of Florida students. (Sun)
- Flagstaff is reintroducing paid parking after suspending fees during the pandemic. (Arizona Daily Sun)
- El Paso is planning more bike lanes downtown. (KFOX 14)
- Sweden is replacing parking with outdoor gathering spaces. (World Economic Forum)
- London could be getting a linear park similar to New York City’s High Line. (The Guardian)
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
The Financial Costs of the Pedestrian Death Crisis Are Still Stratospheric
The human costs of the pedestrian death crisis are unacceptable even as deaths begin to fall. And the financial costs aren't any better.
April 6, 2026
Monday’s Headlines Only Hurt Ourselves
Climate change has cost global economies tens of trillions of dollars. The U.S. is both the biggest culprit and biggest victim.
April 6, 2026
State Bill Would Stop Highway Expansions Near Vulnerable New Yorkers
Assembly Member Emerita Torres's Stop Highway Community Harm Act would ban the state from expanding highways within 200 feet of public housing or in ZIP codes with the highest asthma-related emergency room visits in the state.
April 3, 2026
Friday’s Headlines Keep Our Eyes on the Road, Our Hands Upon the Wheel
Going to the roadhouse in a self-driving car does not mean you're gonna have a real good time.
April 3, 2026
Friday Video: A Master List of All The Reasons Why Car Domination Sucks
Jason Slaughter catalogues the many harms of America's preferred transportation monoculture.
April 2, 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.