Wednesday’s Headlines Are Sticking Closer to Home
Trains are better than flying, but for the sake of the environment we should be cutting back on all kinds of long-distance travel.
By
Blake Aued
12:01 AM EDT on October 13, 2021
- Regardless of which mode you use, people shouldn’t be traveling long distances so much, period. (The Guardian)
- Google Maps will now show you the lowest-carbon route for a car trip, as well as information on airline emissions and hotel sustainability. (Grist)
- What if 10 billion people lived in 165-story towers covering just o.02 percent of the Earth’s surface, with the rest reserved for wilderness? It sounds like something out of science fiction, and it’s not meant to be taken literally, but Planet City creator Liam Young says it shows the drastic measures that will be needed to prevent a climate catastrophe. (Fast Company)
- New Jersey is standing in the way of New York City’s plan to implement congestion pricing. (Politico)
- A study by consulting firm McKinsey found ways for Philadelphia transit agency SEPTA to save up to $117 million a year. (Inquirer)
- Seattle’s new Northgate Station makes it much easier to get around by light rail. (Post-Intelligencer)
- Vision Zero looks like it’s starting to work in Austin (Monitor). That’s not true in Cincinnati, where a city council candidate has some fresh ideas (Enquirer)
- San Antonio’s $1.2 billion bond issue next year should including funding for a fully connected bike and pedestrian network. (San Antonio Report)
- Walk Bike Nashville started a petition last year for a protected bike lane on a street where a driver killed an e-scooter rider Sunday. (Fox 17)
- A German region wants to boost transit ridership and reduce driving by expanding service and lowering fares at the expense of car owners. (Eltis)
- The battles linger on, but the war between cars and people is over in Toronto, and people won. (Sun)
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
Are U.S. Cities Ready for the Robo-Taxi Revolution?
And how can they get ready to regulate the shared AV revolution?
April 28, 2026
Tuesday’s Headlines Pay for Roads Whether We Use Them or Not
Over half of road funding does not come directly from road users, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists.
April 28, 2026
Urban Truth Collective: The One-Hour City Conspiracy
Here's the real conspiracy: Too many people are forced into car-dependent lives, with more health harms, more crashes, more noise, more air pollution, more social isolation — and less space for everything good our streets should be giving us.
April 27, 2026
Monday’s Headlines Introduce the New Green New Deal
To quote the great philosopher Kermit the Frog, "It's not easy being green."
April 27, 2026
How Intercity Bus Lines Are Rebranding To Attract New Riders
Getting people riding the bus isn't just about service; it's also about style.
April 27, 2026
