Thursday’s Headlines Are Safer Than Streets
Smart Growth America's latest Deadly by Design report breaks down the growing epidemic of pedestrian deaths in the U.S.
By
Blake Aued
12:00 AM EDT on July 14, 2022
- Drivers killed more than 6,500 pedestrians in 2020, a 4.5 percent increase over 2019, a disproportionate number of whom were Black, Native American and/or low-income, according to Smart Growth America’s latest Deadly by Design report (ABC News, Streetsblog USA). New Mexico displaced Florida as the most dangerous state to walk in, but the Sunshine State still had seven of the 20 deadliest cities. (Route Fifty)
- It’s a tough needle to thread, but progressive cities need to do something about the perception of crime and anti-social behavior on transit if ridership is going to rebound. The question is how to address it without being too heavy-handed. (Governing)
- An under-covered aspect of the Uber leaks exposing the company’s bare-knuckled tactics is the damage its business model has done to public transportation and the environment (Streetsblog USA). Not to mention that Uber and Lyft have largely left disabled passengers behind (The Verge).
- Shocker: The road-building lobby is opposed to the Biden administration’s proposed rule on tracking tailpipe emissions. (Freight Waves)
- The Texas DOT is poised to spend a record $85 billion building roads over the next decade. (Houston Chronicle)
- The Seattle city council voted to send Sound Transit recommendations on the city’s largest ever light-rail expansion. (KING5)
- Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey shocked even fellow Republicans when he rejected Maricopa County’s request to let metro Phoenix voters decide whether to extend a half-cent sales tax for transportation. The veto jeopardizes not just future transit projects, but road construction as well. (Axios)
- As it updates its 11-year-old bike plan, Dallas residents have a chance to tell the city that cycling is unsafe. (D Magazine)
- Portland and Seattle are partnering on a “Slow the Flock Down” ad campaign aimed at speeding drivers. (Willamette Week)
- Pittsburgh resident Monica Garrison started a group to inspire fellow Black women to ride bikes. (Yale Climate Connections)
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
Trump’s ‘Freedom Means Affordable Cars’ Rings Hollow As Gas Prices Surge
Real freedom is the freedom to choose how you get around — including not driving at all.
March 30, 2026
Monday’s Headlines Pedal Backwards
The Trump administration really does not want to make it easy to ride a bike.
March 30, 2026
Transit Safety For the People, By the People
One congresswoman wants to make transit safer, but not with police.
March 30, 2026
Friday Video: Five Bike Advocacy Mistakes You Don’t Even Know You’re Making
For one thing, make sure that political leaders who say "no" to livable streets experience consequences for their decisions.
March 27, 2026
Friday’s Headlines Take a Free Ride
Waymo has remote response teams, but when a robotaxi gets stuck, emergency responders have to get behind the wheel.
March 27, 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.