- Freight railroad cutbacks and lack of regulation led to the East Palestine chemical spill, which could derail high-speed rail projects as well due to fear of sharing tracks. (The Guardian). But President Biden has hesitated to push Congress to update rail brake rules (The New Republic) and is siding with Norfolk Southern in a case that would make the company harder to sue (The Lever). Civil penalties are likely instead (Politico).
- Traffic studies are often unreliable, and it's only a matter of time before courts start to question them. (Journal of the American Planning Association)
- Speeding drivers, wide roads, a lack of bike infrastructure and poor lighting are a deadly combination for Los Angeles cyclists. (L.A. Times)
- Inland Empire residents are accusing Caltrans of favoring splashier L.A. transit projects over others that would bring more benefits. (San Gabriel Valley Tribune)
- Candidates for Chicago mayor weigh in on transit, bike infrastructure, traffic enforcement and other issues. (WBEZ)
- Bus drivers in two Northern Virginia counties went on strike, demanding better wages and benefits from the private contractor that employs them. (Washington Post)
- The Detroit suburb of Oakland County is moving ahead with a historic transit expansion. (Oakland Press)
- New York City paid out $247 million in settlements over the last 10 years to victims of crashes involving police. (Curbed)
- Minneapolis is considering clearing sidewalks itself after snowstorms, rather than relying on property owners to do it. (MinnPost)
- Ridership on Valley Metro rail in Phoenix rose 60 percent during Super Bowl weekend. (KTAR)
- Next year the New England Patriots will pay fans to drive and park at the stadium. (CBS News)
Stay in touch
Sign up for our free newsletter
More from Streetsblog USA
Friday Video: The London Neighborhood Where Bikes Outnumber Cars
...and how they got to that impressive milestone.
Friday’s Headlines Battle Galactus
Like the Marvel supervillain, U.S. interstate highway system seems to eat up everything in his path.
Talking Headways Podcast: Localities Subsidize the State DOT
Adie Tomer of Brookings on how to improve regional coordination around infrastructure.
Five of the Ugliest Transportation Policies In the ‘Big, Beautiful’ Bill
Here's a rundown of some of the transportation provisions in the Republicans' reconciliation package, and what they might mean for your community.
Viva La Thursday’s Headlines
Why is French transit ridership up 10 percent since before the pandemic, while American transit ridership is down 23 percent?
Wednesday’s Headlines Are Bigger and Beautiful-er
There's a lot of bad news in the Big Beautiful Bill — but it also may have helped kill a major highway expansion in Oregon.