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:
More from Streetsblog USA
Wednesday’s Headlines Feel Pain at the Pump
High gas prices are likely to persist, and people will be driving less in response.
March 25, 2026
D.C. Advocates Sue To Save Key Bike Lane From Trump Teardown
We previously reported that the Trump administration might soon move to dismantle key cycle tracks in the nation's capital. Unfortunately, we were right.
March 24, 2026
How a ‘Universal Basic Neighborhood’ Can Help Americans Live Longer
Want to increase your chances of living to 80? A new paper argues we need to start with our neighborhoods — and we need to do it for everybody.
March 24, 2026
Tuesday’s Headlines Keep Our Eyes on the Road
How much responsibility do tech companies bear for traffic deaths caused by distracted driving?
March 24, 2026
Opinion: Adding Parking to Sports Stadiums Makes It Harder for Everyone To Get Around
A Chicago advocate makes the case against expanding car storage at Cubs games.
March 23, 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.