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:
Streetsblog has migrated to a new comment system. New commenters can register directly in the comments section of any article. Returning commenters: your previous comments and display name have been preserved, but you'll need to reclaim your account by clicking "Forgot your password?" on the sign-in form, entering your email, and following the verification link to set a new password — this is required because passwords could not be carried over during the migration. For questions, contact tips@streetsblog.org.
More from Streetsblog USA
When Are Parking Debates Just A Smokescreen for Hate?
A new paper finds that mosques are more likely to face pushback over parking than other houses of worship. What should planners do about it?
October 20, 2026
Tuesday’s Headlines Do the Robot
Cities and states are filling the void, but the feds really need to step in to set rules for autonomous vehicles.
October 20, 2026
The Math On Car Ownership For New Parents Doesn’t Add Up
An expecting Oakland parent makes the case for car-free parenting.
October 20, 2026
Why US Roads Are Full of SUVs and Trucks, Part I
Everyone says that Americans just love SUVs and pick-ups. But is that really true — or are there solvable structural reasons why our streets look like a monster truck rally?
October 19, 2026
Aging in Place Is a Mobility Problem, Too
How Spain is going the extra mile to help seniors age in place, even if doing it is an uphill climb.
October 19, 2026