Thursday’s Headlines Have Some Good News
The U.S. and global outlook may be bleak, but many cities are embracing better transportation policies.
By
Blake Aued
12:01 AM EDT on September 2, 2021
- Climate change plans often overrate electric vehicles by ignoring the pollution from generating electricity, overstating the speed by which EVs will replace fossil fuels, and underestimating peoples’ desire for cars. (Planetizen)
- Despite a recent survey’s findings to the contrary, Wired thinks the 15-minute city is finally having its moment.
- Cool grandad Donald Shoup does his thing again — shaming cities over free parking. (Bloomberg)
- DART’s overhaul will mean most bus riders will experience fewer waits and easier transfers. (Dallas Morning News)
- The Texas DOT should invest its I-45 funds in transit and bike lanes. (Houston Chronicle)
- Could Elon Musk build one of his tunnels under water-logged and unstable South Florida? Maybe. But at the very least it would be a lot harder and cost a lot more than he’s letting on. (Smart Cities Dive)
- D.C. Metro train operators are prone to fatigue. (Washington Post)
- Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot is turning to Uber and Lyft after public school bus drivers quit en masse over a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for city employees. (Sun-Times)
- Charlotte’s Gold Line streetcar is officially open. (WFAE)
- This is a great time to extend Minneapolis’ Midtown Greenway. (MinnPost)
- Pittsburgh is now allowing e-bikes on buses and trains. (City Paper)
- A Phoenix city council member is calling for fare-free transit. (KJZZ)
- Clearwater, Florida, scuttled a development deal because city officials said it had too much parking. (Tampa Bay Times)
- Birmingham’s transit authority has a new CEO. (Al.com)
- North Dakota police are cracking down on distracted driving this month. (Bismarck Tribune)
- Here’s a cool vision of what passenger rail in Washington state could look like. (The Urbanist)
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
‘Flock Off’: Mass Surveillance Surge Jeopardizes Lifesaving Crash Reduction Strategy
A surveillance company's controversial business model has made traffic enforcement look bad by association. The effects could cost hundreds of lives.
July 30, 2026
Thursday’s Headlines Are Third Spaces
What happened to the neighborhood pub or indie coffee shop? They became places you drive past rather than walk to.
July 30, 2026
Wednesday’s Headlines Cut to the Bone
Transit and rail only get a small share of the federal highway trust fund as is, and the Trump administration now wants to take away that.
July 29, 2026
Letter From Bogotá: How A Great World Capital Puts Housing, Transit and Public Space First
The city's Secretary of Habitat Vanessa Velasco oversees the whole habitat and urban development ecosystem.
July 29, 2026
Tuesday’s Headlines Drag Their Feet
The Trump administration has refused to award any grants for transit capital projects over the past year and a half.
July 28, 2026