- Conspiracy theories about bike lanes and congestion pricing are going mainstream. (The Guardian)
- A lot of reporters writing about congestion pricing are doing it wrong. (City Observatory)
- Contrary to fears that congestion pricing would impact lower-income people the most, the top 40 percent pay 60 percent of the fees in London, according to an MIT study. But governments still need to fund other modes to make it equitable. (State Smart Transportation Initiative)
- E-bikes could provide the push needed to finally get serious about non-car transportation infrastructure. (Planetizen)
- Federal funding represents an opportunity for transit agencies in 2023, but recruiting workers and riders, as well as dealing with inflation and supply-chain issues, remain challenges. (Mass Transit)
- Small cities are experiencing unprecedented population growth, and should be ramping up bus service to deal with it. (Metro Magazine)
- Transit agencies in Chicago and Philadelphia are making it easier for minority-owned businesses to obtain contracts. (Route Fifty)
- Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) retired rather than give up his gavel as chair of the House Transportation Committee, but he remains addicted to infrastructure. (Roll Call)
- Facing a $22 billion deficit, California Gov. Gavin Newsom is asking the feds for more funding to help struggling transit agencies. (San Francisco Standard)
- D.C. Metro officials are hoping that improving service while optimizing fares to pay for it will avoid a fiscal calamity. (Greater Greater Washington)
- Dangerous drivers and lack of protected bike lanes are making it hard for Seattle residents to commute by bike. (MyNorthwest)
- Transit advocates are right to be skeptical about the Charlotte Area Transit System's new numbers for Silver Line ridership. (Observer)
- Virginia should get onboard with electrified rail. (Mercury)
- After five years, a complete streets makeover of congested Howell Mill Road has yet to begin. (Urbanize Atlanta)
- Something about being ensconced in several thousand pounds of metal seems to turn everyone into a middle-school bully. (Mother Jones)
Streetsblog
Thursday’s Headlines From Your Lizard Overlords
By Blake Aued
Jordan Peterson (pictured) went viral this week with his conspiracy theory that the installation of “traffic filters” in Oxford England are part of “well-documented” global plot to imprison and rob its citizens. Credit: Gage Skidmore
Stay in touch
Sign up for our free newsletter
More from Streetsblog USA
Confirmed: Non-Driving Infrastructure Creates ‘Induced Demand,’ Too
Widening a highway to cure congestion is like losing weight by buying bigger pants — but thanks to the same principle of "induced demand," adding bike paths and train lines to cure climate actually works.
January 9, 2026
Friday’s Headlines Are Unsustainably Expensive
To paraphrase former New York City mayoral candidate Jimmy McMillan, the car payment is too damn high.
Talking Headways Podcast: Poster Sessions at Mpact in Portland
Young professionals discuss the work they’ve been doing including designing new transportation hubs, rethinking parking and improving buses.
January 8, 2026
Exploding Costs Could Doom One of America’s Greatest Highway Boondoggles
The Interstate Bridge Replacement Project and highway expansion between Oregon and Washington was already a boondoggle. Then the costs ballooned to $17.7 billion.
January 8, 2026
Mayor Bowser Blasts U.S. DOT Talk of Eliminating Enforcement Cameras in DC
The federal Department of Transportation is exploring how to dismantle the 26-year-old enforcement camera system in Washington, D.C.
January 8, 2026
Thursday’s Headlines Are Making Progress
By Yonah Freemark's count, 19 North American transit projects opened last year, with another 19 coming in 2026.
January 8, 2026
