Tuesday’s Headlines Because We’re So Done with Monday
Seattle's new street sweeper MUST be named "OK Broomer." OK? Plus other news.
By
Blake Aued
12:01 AM EDT on May 25, 2021
- Democrat Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, who lost her legs in Iraq, is one of three senators co-sponsoring a $10-billion bill to bring transit stations up to ADA standards. (CBS News, Streetsblog USA)
- Two U.S. senators want the DOT to study the costs of the damage millions of additional vehicles are doing to highways. (Eno Center for Transportation)
- A propensity to overbuild and overdesign high speed rail contributes to the high cost in the U.S., which leads to many canceled projects. (Pedestrian Observations)
- The masculine mindset of American car culture has to change if smaller, more efficient electric vehicles are going to replace ever-bigger and heavier trucks. (Jalopnik)
- Gas consumption in the U.S. is almost back to pre-pandemic levels. (Reuters)
- California regulators approved a rule requiring ride-hailing services to transition to EVs by 2030. (Forbes)
- As residents seek to avoid Miami’s horrible traffic, the city is coalescing into urban neighborhoods or villages where everything is within reach without getting into a car. (Herald)
- Rebuilding West Virginia’s economy — the worst in the country — starts with infrastructure. (The Hill)
- San Diego is converting on-street parking downtown into linear parks. (Union-Tribune)
- The first head of Charlotte’s transit agency says an $8 billion to $12 billion transit plan currently under discussion is too vague and too scattershot. (WFAE)
- Akron’s new long-range transportation plan includes $2.4 billion for transit and $5.3 billion for roads, but almost all of the road money will go toward maintenance rather than new construction. (Beacon-Journal)
- Albuquerque mayor Tim Kelly unveiled a Vision Zero plan to eliminate traffic deaths by 2040. (One Albuquerque)
- The Philly Inquirer called out the SEPTA transit agency for erring on the side of suburban rail. It’s nice to see a hometown paper defend the needs of city residents.
- Twitter is mad that a new San Jose subway station will be … too far underground? (KPIX)
- Sweepy McSweepface? Sir Sweeps-a-Lot? OK Broomer? It’s not too late to vote on a name for Seattle’s new street sweeper. (KING)
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
How to Fight a Freeway 101
A new guide gives advocates the basics to building a campaign against harmful infrastructure in their neighborhoods — and the best time to start is now.
November 9, 2026
Monday’s Headlines Come Heavy or Not at All
The Transport Workers Union takes aim at Amtrak's new policy allowing guns onboard trains.
November 9, 2026
The California DMV’s Culture of Obstruction
California’s DMV is responsible for managing some of the biggest risks on the state’s roads, but researchers say a culture of secrecy and obstruction makes it nearly impossible for the public to access basic information about dangerous drivers and disabled parking placard fraud.
November 6, 2026
Opinion: I (Almost) Killed a Pedestrian With My Car
Every driver has a story or two about a near-miss traffic crash, even when they were doing everything right. Can we get those numbers down with safer systems?
November 6, 2026
