- Two stories show how the auto industry manipulated the public into our current car-centric predicament: Governing writes about how late 19th century cyclists were the first Americans to advocate for better roads — a movement that was hijacked by drivers and became the basis for the interstate highway system. Meanwhile, the MIT Press Reader illuminates how business leaders reversed popular opinion that, in the automobile's early days, viewed the machines as dangerous threats.
- Speaking of which, there's a long history of bikes winding up in bodies of water (The Guardian). Maybe that's where all of Portland's missing Biketown bikes have disappeared to (Bike Portland).
- As the right-leaning City Journal notes, weaning ourselves off fossil fuels also means more mining for minerals to make batteries, which progressives also oppose because it damages the environment.
- Rail is not helping itself in the argument against EVs. By 2035, Amtrak hopes to reinstate several lines — and make them slower than they were in the 1940s and '50s. That's right, they'll be slower than they were more than 70 years ago. (Vice)
- Texas is skirting federal environmental laws by breaking its freeway projects up into chunks that are small enough not to be subject to intensive environmental review. (The Grist)
- Denver's new bus network will pull back from the suburbs to focus more on downtown. (Colorado Public Radio)
- Portland is considering becoming the first U.S. city to phase out diesel trucks. (Willamette Week)
- Cyclists rallied in Washington, D.C. to urge Mayor Muriel Bowser to do something about traffic deaths. (WJLA)
- A Los Angeles transportation official who's been an advocate for walking and biking is Seattle Mayor Brett Harrell's pick to lead SDOT. (The Urbanist)
- The Boston Globe wants to hear from readers whether they think the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority should be merged with MassDOT.
- Cedar Rapids is reinstating bus fares for many riders but lowering them from the pre-pandemic rate of $1.50 to $1. (The Gazette)
- Japanese triathlete Tsudoi Miyakazi was killed by a driver while training on her bike in France. (New York Post)
- Uber passengers apparently can't figure out how to open a Tesla's door. (Axios)
Streetsblog
Friday’s Headlines Look to the Past
Stay in touch
Sign up for our free newsletter
More from Streetsblog USA
Tuesday’s Sprawling Headlines
Sprawl seems to be having a moment, but it remains a very shortsighted and environmentally disastrous way to solve the housing crisis.
Does Constant Driving Really Make Our Country Richer?
A new study reveals that constant driving is making America less productive and prosperous — and getting people on other modes could help right the ship.
‘We’re Not Copenhagen’ Is No Excuse Not to Build a Great Biking And Walking City
A team of researchers identified eight under-the-radar cities leading the local active transportation revolution — and a menu of strategies that other communities can and should steal.
Monday’s Headlines, Ranked
New reports rank the best cities for biking and the best complete streets policies. Plus, the robotaxi wars have begun.
Washington State Is About To Have the First Pro-‘Woonerf’ Law in America
Washington state is making it legal for cities to have people-centered streets in a first-in-the-nation law.
Friday’s Headlines Are Doomed
Philadelphia transit is falling off the fiscal cliff, with other major cities not far behind. And the effects of service cuts on their economies could be brutal.