- Author Paris Marx suggests that Elon Musk — who's been in the news a lot lately, along with other tech tycoons, for their transportation boondoggles — only proposed the hyperloop to try to block California high-speed rail so he could sell more cars, and never intended to build it. (Jalopnik)
- Elaine Chao, Donald Trump's transportation secretary, met with the January 6 committee, possibly to talk about how she and other cabinet members considered removing him from office after the Capitol riot. (CNN)
- More on the $2.2 billion in RAISE grants for infrastructure the U.S. DOT distributed for 166 projects. (Washington Post, Roll Call)
- By offering fairness, value, simplicity and flexibility, fare-capping is a promising way to get more people to ride transit. (Metro Magazine)
- Speeding drivers kill 10,000 people a year in the U.S. So if the government will put speed governors on scooters and e-bikes, why not on cars that can go well over 100 miles per hour? (City Lab)
- Gas-tax holidays are regressive, likely to benefit oil and gas companies more than drivers, will drain government transportation coffers, and could result in shortages even if they were effective at driving down prices. (Bloomberg Law)
- Improving transit could restore trust in big-city government. (Planetizen)
- Tempe's new streetcar is the latest of several Valley Metro extensions. (Arizona Republic)
- The Charlotte Area Transit System is looking for input on a new light-rail station. (WCNC)
- Anne Heche is under investigation for driving under the influence of drugs when the actress crashed into a Los Angeles house. She is currently in critical condition and not expected to survive. (TMZ)
- Paris is set to become one of the top bike-friendly cities on the planet. (Momentum)
Streetsblog
Friday’s Headlines Are About Elon-ed Out
By Blake Aued
Tesla CEO Elon Musk. Image: Steve Jurvetson, CC
Stay in touch
Sign up for our free newsletter
More from Streetsblog USA
Friday Video: How ‘Car Brain’ Warps the Way We See the World
How can we fix the brains distorted by car culture?
January 16, 2026
Friday’s Headlines Are the Best
People for Bikes named its top bike lane projects of the past year.
January 16, 2026
Talking Headways Podcast: The Lost Subways of North America
Author Jake Berman discusses transit histories through the lens of racial dynamics, monopolies, ballot measures and overlooked cities.
January 15, 2026
A ‘Demographic Time Bomb’ Is About To Go Off — And the Transportation Sector Isn’t Ready
A top firm is warning that the "silver tsunami" will have big implications for the climate, unless U.S. communities act fast.
January 15, 2026
Thursday’s Headlines Shoot for the Moon
What if the U.S. spent anything near what it spends on highways on transit instead?
January 15, 2026
Passenger Rail Is Headed for a Reckoning — and the First 90 Days of 2026 Will Decide It
Railfans: it's time to go full steam ahead.
January 15, 2026
