Thursday’s Headlines Took Me to the River
Boston's Charles River, where we fished out a bunch of temporary bike lane cones. Plus lots and lots of headlines from lots and lots of other cities.
By
Blake Aued
12:00 AM EST on January 27, 2022
- Contrary to claims that white-collar workers’ exodus to the suburbs during the pandemic will exacerbate sprawl, it’s likely to make the suburbs more urban and walkable. (Public Square)
- If cities want to be more equitable, they need more data. (Route Fifty)
- When it comes to bikes, build it, and they will come. (Arch Daily)
- Additional recipients of Federal Transit Administration planning grants for transit-oriented development (Transportation Today) include bus rapid transit lines in Pittsburgh (Post-Gazette), Orlando (News 6) and the Atlanta suburb of Clayton County (Journal-Constitution).
- Phoenix will consider Vision Zero after a spike in traffic deaths last year (ABC 15). Pedestrian deaths in Nashville have doubled over the past decade (Fox 17). Meanwhile, despite Vision Zero, drivers are killing more pedestrians in Seattle (KUOW).
- COVID-related worker shortages are crippling California transit systems. (Cal Matters)
- There is no timeline for the D.C. Metro to return train cars to service that were suspended after the discovery of a fault that led to a derailment. (Washington Post)
- The Federal Transit Administration gave St. Louis a one-month reprieve on a Feb. 1 deadline to restart the Loop Trolley or return federal funds used to build it. (Post-Dispatch)
- Oakland is winding down its slow streets initiative. (Oaklandside)
- Austin’s Cap Metro is offering millions in infrastructure funding to keep the nearby city of Leander in the transit fold. (Monitor)
- A D.C. group has gotten mixed results in reforming the WMATA bus system. (Greater Greater Washington)
- Athens, Georgia, commissioners will vote next week on $144 million worth of transit, bike and pedestrian projects, including continuing fare-free transit. (Flagpole)
- A Florida town’s residents are raising safety concerns after drivers killed a cyclist and a pedestrian in two separate crashes in one day. (News4Jax)
- A Charlotte Chick-fil-A manager was fired after speaking out against a city decision to let his former employer build a drive-through in an area zoned for transit-oriented development. (Observer)
- Boston vandals keep throwing traffic cones marking a temporary Mass Ave. bike lane into the Charles River. (WCVB)
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
Friday Video: Why America Hates Bikes (And How to Make It Love Them)
Two of our favorite YouTubers teamed up for a great explainer on the history of anti-bike bias in the United States.
September 18, 2026
Friday’s Headlines Put the Pedal to the Metal
Oh, wait, there are no pedals? Let me try to pull up the brakes on this touchscreen.
September 18, 2026
Are Brain-Rot Transit Ads Ruining Our Commutes?
Advertisements give transit systems across the country badly-needed revenue. But how much is too much?
September 18, 2026
Thursday’s Headlines Are a Gas, Gas, Gas
Key House Republicans killed an irresponsible, politically motivated bill to suspend the federal gas tax.
September 17, 2026
Traffic Noise Kills 6,330 Americans a Year; We Stopped Counting in 1982
Removing just five decibels of noise from our neighborhoods would save lives. So why aren't we even measuring it, never mind taking action to quiet our streets?
September 17, 2026