- 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)
Streetsblog
Thursday’s Headlines Reap What We Sowed
By Blake Aued
A Detroit family walks down a street with no sidewalks.
Stay in touch
Sign up for our free newsletter
More from Streetsblog USA
Video: Why We Need a Global Freeway Fighters’ Network
A terrible project in Berlin shows the need for a global network to support local freeway fighters everywhere.
January 14, 2025
House Bill Would Make Auto-Braking Rules Stronger to Protect Cyclists
Let's make America brake again!
January 13, 2025
What’s Missing From the Safe Systems Approach
Safe streets, road users, speeds, vehicles, and post-crash care have long been held up as the five pillars of the "safe systems" approach to ending road deaths. One state DOT, though, recently added a sixth one — and their outgoing secretary thinks it's key to saving lives.
January 13, 2025
Monday’s Headlines Don’t Go Small
How is transit that only moves a few people at a time that different from personal cars, except at public expense?
January 13, 2025
New Studies Show No Downsides for Bicycle ‘Idaho’ Stop
As more states continue to pass laws allowing bike riders to treat stop signs like yield signs, more studies showing their safety benefits accumulate.
