Thursday’s Headlines Feel a Little Better
Traffic deaths declined for the first time in almost two years, reversing a disturbing trend dating back to summer of 2020.
By
Blake Aued
12:00 AM EDT on September 22, 2022
- Finally, some good news on the street safety front: Traffic deaths declined 5 percent from April through June compared to the same period last year, the first such decline since the third quarter of 2020 (Autoblog). There are reasons to curb your enthusiasm, though (Streetsblog).
- Nissan is recalling 200,000 pickup trucks that could roll away while parked. (New York Times)
- Sorry, Ford: Phone alerts aren’t going to keep drivers from killing pedestrians. (Motherboard)
- The Biden administration has hired a former Washington, D.C. and Chicago transportation official to be its EV charger czar. (CNN) He also happens to be a Streetsblog USA board member. (Streetsblog)
- A group called Latinos in Transit is trying to put more people of color in management roles at transit agencies. (Smart Cities Dive)
- Cities are often hard for women to get around because they’re designed by men for men. (Arch Daily)
- The future belongs to cities that are able to get people to walk more. (Euronews)
- The Orange Line shutdown in Boston shows why more investment is needed in transit service and reliability. (Environment America)
- Speaking of which, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority reopened the Orange Line after completing five years’ worth of maintenance in 30 days. (Railway Tracks & Structures)
- A record-breaking number of Boston residents rented Bluebikes during the shutdown. (Globe)
- The D.C. Metro is still facing a $185 million funding gap next year, but that’s not nearly as bad as the agency originally predicted. (Washington Post)
- A new student organization has formed to fight the proposed I-3 expansion in Austin. (Daily Texan)
- The South Phoenix light rail extension is halfway done and set to open in 2024. (Axios)
- Philadelphia is stepping up enforcement of illegal bike and bus lane parking. (NBC 10)
- Attorney General Merrick Garland is seeking the death penalty against a suspected terrorist accused of using a truck to kill eight people in a Manhattan bike path in 2017. (Reuters)
- This is why bike lanes should be protected. (Miami Herald)
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
The Races Transportation Reformers Are Watching This Midterms
What will the midterms mean for US mobility? Here are a few key races advocates are watching.
November 3, 2026
Can NYC Bus Riders Form A Voting Bloc? We’re About To Find Out
Transit advocates have a new plan to turn bus riders into a political force.
November 3, 2026
Tuesday’s Headlines Vote Early and Vote Often
From the federal level to local referendums, this will be a pivotal election for transit and safety.
November 3, 2026
Would Ending Seasonal Clock Changes Make Streets Safer for People Outside Cars?
Saturday night Halloween celebrations and a seasonal time change converged this year to create what some fear were uniquely dangerous conditions on US roads. But would ditching the clock change really have saved pedestrian and cyclist lives?
November 2, 2026
Opinion: Robotaxis Need Clear Rules — Even in ‘Exceptional’ Situations
Maybe a robotaxi is safer than a human driver on an "average" road under "normal" conditions — but what will it do when things get unruly?
November 2, 2026
