Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
Streetsblog

Thursday’s Headlines Reap What We Sowed

Joel Kurth/Bridge Michigan.|

A Detroit family walks down a street with no sidewalks.

    • Cyclist and pedestrian deaths have skyrocketed in the U.S. over the past 20 years — an anomaly among developed nations — and the victims are disproportionately Black and Hispanic. For decades governments prioritized wide roads in poor and minority neighborhoods that outsiders can speed through, and neglected to invest in safety. (New York Times)
    • Two-mile long freight trains often block intersections for hours, requiring children who walk to school to risk their lives climbing over a train that could start at any time or stay home. (ProPublica)
    • Automakers pretty much refuse to sell small cars and trucks in the U.S., believing Americans don't want them. So rural farmers are importing tiny pickups from Japan. (The Economist; paywall)
    • "Desire paths" trampled by people where there are no paved paths help urban planners understand how to build better public spaces. (Australian Broadcasting Corp.)
    • California transit agencies and sympathetic legislators unveiled a five-year, $5 billion budget proposal to keep transit from going over a fiscal cliff. (CalMatters)
    • The Culver City council removed a protected bike lane from a downtown safety pilot program that was widely watched in the L.A. region. (LAist)
    • The "pause" on Philadelphia's King of Prussia rail line is also an opportunity to draw riders back by improving existing transit service. (Governing)
    • Gov. Maura Healey hired the Massachusetts DOT's first-ever chief safety officer. (Boston Herald)
    • Miami planners are floating a plan to turn U.S. Highway 1 into a boulevard with traffic calming measures and a bike path. (Miami Today)
    • A light rail crash near Denver in March was likely caused by the operator falling asleep, according to a state investigation. (Colorado Public Radio)
    • A Charlotte Magazine writer tried riding the bus and found it slow and frustrating, as did many of her fellow passengers.
    • Lisbon is the latest city to ban car traffic through downtown, if only temporarily. (City Lab)

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Thursday’s Headlines Are Hotter Than July

The Trump administration looked at decades of science and decided that climate change is fine, actually.

July 31, 2025

Wednesday’s Headlines Welcome Our Robot Overlords

The robotaxi field is growing, but with buyouts and now possibly layoffs at the U.S. DOT, will anyone be left to regulate them?

July 30, 2025

Shifting Gears to Urban Bike Delivery

Bikes can revolutionize delivery in urban areas. A new report outlines how policymakers can spur them in their communities.

July 30, 2025

Trump’s ‘Beautiful’ Bill Kills Lovely QueensWay Park (Plus Many Efforts to Erase ‘Racist’ Highways)

Here's another reason for Mayor Adams to have buyer's remorse over his bromance with President Trump.

July 29, 2025

Tuesday’s Headlines Reel in the Years

Republicans continue to roll back the Biden administration's legacy, most recently ending the DOT's Neighborhood Access and Equity program.

July 29, 2025

What Will It Take To Give Victims and Advocates a Voice at US DOT?

A new bill would put a dedicated "roadway safety advocate" in the halls of US DOT — and you can support it right now.

July 29, 2025
See all posts