- The U.S. DOT sent a message to governors that they must protect cyclists and pedestrians if they want to receive federal infrastructure funds (ABC News) as Republican senators took up the call of GOP governors to let them spend that money on widening roads (The Hill). This new federal guidance, however, may not be enough (Streetsblog USA).
- Tire particles are having an adverse effect on aquatic organisms. (Science Daily)
- Micromobility can replace short car trips, but first cities have to put the infrastructure in place. (Governing)
- The New York Times explains how to design a bike lane.
- Forget flying cars. Why don't we even have any robotaxis yet? (The Drive)
- Utah lawmakers are trying to craft a $1 billion transit bill using federal American Rescue Plan Act funds. (Salt Lake Tribune)
- Concerns about crime topped working from home or fear of catching COVID as reasons why Philadelphia residents stopped riding SEPTA, according to a Philadelphia 10 survey.
- Two Los Angeles men walked 50 miles across the city. You won't believe what happened next — apparently, it's actually a pretty walkable city. (L.A. Times)
- St. Louis County officials are still against a regional transit agency's effort to revive the Delmar Loop streetcar despite assurances that the county won't be required to fund it. (Post-Dispatch)
- Florida police handcuffed a Black 12-year-old and accused him of stealing his own bike. (Raw Story)
- Austin is considering cutting red tape for the taxi industry, which has been decimated by ride-hailing over the past five years. (American-Statesman)
- Denver is trying to move away from being so auto-centric. (KDVR)
- Pandemic cutbacks on The Hop streetcar will end Monday. (On Milwaukee)
- Better to ride in a golf cart tricked out like a tank than a gas-guzzling truck the size of tank, but still, Florida master-planned mega-retirement community The Villages is a hotbed of MAGA hedonism. (NY Times)
Stay in touch
Sign up for our free newsletter
More from Streetsblog USA
Confirmed: Non-Driving Infrastructure Creates ‘Induced Demand,’ Too
Widening a highway to cure congestion is like losing weight by buying bigger pants — but thanks to the same principle of "induced demand," adding bike paths and train lines to cure climate actually works.
January 9, 2026
Friday’s Headlines Are Unsustainably Expensive
To paraphrase former New York City mayoral candidate Jimmy McMillan, the car payment is too damn high.
Talking Headways Podcast: Poster Sessions at Mpact in Portland
Young professionals discuss the work they’ve been doing including designing new transportation hubs, rethinking parking and improving buses.
January 8, 2026
Exploding Costs Could Doom One of America’s Greatest Highway Boondoggles
The Interstate Bridge Replacement Project and highway expansion between Oregon and Washington was already a boondoggle. Then the costs ballooned to $17.7 billion.
January 8, 2026
Mayor Bowser Blasts U.S. DOT Talk of Eliminating Enforcement Cameras in DC
The federal Department of Transportation is exploring how to dismantle the 26-year-old enforcement camera system in Washington, D.C.
January 8, 2026
Thursday’s Headlines Are Making Progress
By Yonah Freemark's count, 19 North American transit projects opened last year, with another 19 coming in 2026.
January 8, 2026
