Wednesday’s Headlines Give Working From Home New Meaning
Converting empty offices into housing seems like a great idea at first, but it's much harder than it sounds.
By
Blake Aued
12:00 AM EST on December 28, 2022
- Downtown offices that have been sitting empty since the pandemic started could be converted into new housing near transit, but experts say that in many cases, retrofitting them would cost more than just building new housing. (New York Times)
- A new study found that world leaders give up too easily on raising gas taxes and reducing subsidies to oil and gas companies, both policies that discourage driving. (Sci Tech Daily)
- According to U.S. Census data, Cheyenne, Detroit, Boise, Wichita, D.C., Atlanta, New York, Boston, Burlington and Portland, Maine are the cities where bike commuting is growing the fastest. (Stacker)
- Chicago transit agencies are taking public input on how to close a projected $730 million budget gap. (Sun-Times)
- The feds have approved funding for express buses on Rice Street in St. Paul. (Pioneer Press)
- U.S. Rep. Cori Bush (D- Mo.) has introduced bills to fund light rail and bus service. (L.A. Progressive)
- Caltrain received $43 million from the federal omnibus appropriations law for an all-electric bus fleet by 2024. (San Jose Inside)
- Gainesville, Florida, has approved a new transit hub on the east side of the city. (Sun)
- A Belgian court ruled in favor of Uber in a lawsuit over drivers’ employment status. (Politico)
- This British Columbia cyclist took matters into his own hands when a snowstorm blocked the streets. (Vancouver Sun)
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
Urban Truth Collective: The One-Hour City Conspiracy
Here's the real conspiracy: Too many people are forced into car-dependent lives, with more health harms, more crashes, more noise, more air pollution, more social isolation — and less space for everything good our streets should be giving us.
April 27, 2026
Monday’s Headlines Introduce the New Green New Deal
To quote the great philosopher Kermit the Frog, "It's not easy being green."
April 27, 2026
How Intercity Bus Lines Are Rebranding To Attract New Riders
Getting people riding the bus isn't just about service; it's also about style.
April 27, 2026
Train Tubers: a Talk with the YouTube’s Transit Warriors
The masters of transit YouTube discuss their efforts to get people interested in urbanism
April 24, 2026
New E-Mobility Study Actually Reveals Need For Safer Streets, Not E-Bike Crackdowns
A new look into emergency room data at one Manhattan hospital shows a need for more infrastructure, despite what you might have read elsewhere.
April 24, 2026