Thursday’s Headlines Are Free for Everyone
Boston's Michelle Wu is far from the only mayor to push fare-free transit recently. Plus, ad campaigns that try to shame people into safety rarely work.
By
Blake Aued
12:00 AM EDT on June 16, 2022
- From Boston to Olympia, mayors are embracing fare-free transit as a way to address inequality. (Politico)
- Safe-driving ad campaigns mostly don’t work, and the money could be better spent on other strategies, like speed-limiting technology or designing safer roads. (Slate)
- The Biden administration is now taking a serious look at a gas-tax holiday (The Hill), which is a bad policy that doesn’t help drivers much, doesn’t encourage alternative modes and siphons money from transportation.
- Remember the time a self-driving Uber killed a woman who was crossing the street in Arizona? (Clean Technica)
- The Massachusetts Supreme Court blocked a Prop 22-style gig worker referendum that’s backed by Uber and Lyft. (CNN)
- The latest plan for Austin’s Project Connect calls for closing “The Drag,” a popular strip near the University of Texas campus, to cars. (American-Statesman)
- San Francisco museums want voters to allow cars on JFK Drive in Golden Gate Park again. (Examiner)
- Nashville Mayor John Cooper wants to ban sidewalk vendors in some parts of the city, saying they get in the way of pedestrians. (Tennessean)
- Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner has approved bike lanes on 11th Street, along with reducing vehicle lanes, pedestrian refuges, and more. (Houston Public Media)
- Milwaukee County is overhauling its transit system in an effort to lure riders back and avoid a budget shortfall. (Wisconsin Public Radio)
- The Pittsburgh Port Authority is now Pittsburgh Regional Transit, a name meant to better reflect its mission as, you guessed it, a regional transit agency. (Post-Gazette)
- Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo wants to transform the city’s ring road into a green belt. (Eltis)
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
The Explainer: Everything You Need To Know About President Trump’s Penn Station Renovation Scheme
It's hard to keep all these trains of thought on the right track. Fortunately for you, The Explainer is back.
June 30, 2026
So, How Is ‘Vision Zero’ Doing in Beantown?
A new report singles out a Boston suburb, where there have been no fatal crashes since 2022.
June 30, 2026
Tuesday’s Headlines Are Burning Up
Nothing but burning fewer fossil fuels will stop the deadly extreme heat waves and wildfires.
June 30, 2026
Interview: ‘Arrested Mobility’ Star Charles T. Brown On Why The New ‘Bikelash’ Is A Misdirection Ploy
The nation is in the midst of another war on bikes. But this one is different, so we reached out to an urban planner for a nice chat.
June 29, 2026
Monday’s Headlines Don’t Sideline Sidewalks
Sidewalks are not just for walking; they're places where we meet neighbors and even conduct business.
June 29, 2026
