Tuesday’s Headlines Go Car-Free
Only 8 percent of U.S. households don't own a car. But getting around without one is possible, even in cities that lack great transit.
By
Blake Aued
12:00 AM EST on February 14, 2023
- Over 90 percent of U.S. households own at least one vehicle, according to Census data. The metro area with the highest rate of vehicle ownership is Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL, at 97.6 percent, and the lowest by far is New York-Newark-Jersey City at 56.5 percent. (Yahoo!)
- Outside of a few coastal cities, it’s not easy to get by without a car in America. Streetsblog USA alum Angie Schmitt explains how to do it, for Vox.
- Shared e-scooters are proven to reduce car trips, and cities should be building more infrastructure to keep them off sidewalks. (Cities Today)
- San Francisco is extending parking meter hours to help fund transit agency Muni. (Chronicle)
- An express bus between Detroit and Ann Arbor has been a success. Next up is a bus connecting downtown to the airport. (WDET)
- Massachusetts lawmakers filed bills to implement congestion pricing in Boston, where the average driver spends 134 hours a year stuck in traffic. (Globe)
- Minnesota lawmakers are writing a bill to put social workers on light-rail trains to help people struggling with housing, mental health and addiction. (Reformer)
- Fare-free transit in Connecticut has led to unhoused people riding buses all day and a spike in attacks on bus drivers. (Examiner)
- A Colorado bill would provide free transit rides during peak ozone season. (KRDO)
- A judge ruled that Denver’s transit agency isn’t responsible for crossing arm issues that cost a light-rail contractor $100 million. (Colorado Public Radio)
- A driver killed a cyclist on a Portland street where the Oregon DOT had forced the city to remove a bike box. Now the city is putting it back. (Bike Portland)
- Austin released a new urban trail plan that increases accessibility in underserved neighborhoods. (Daily Texan)
- Berlin is planning on removing almost all car parking from a neighborhood as a car-free pilot project. But it might be going too far, even for Green Party voters. (The Guardian)
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
