- Nationally, transit ridership is still just 70 percent of pre-pandemic levels. While smaller systems that serve mostly blue-collar workers have rebounded, in big cities with white-collar commuters, the problem persists. And some say going fare-free would only hasten their demise. (New York Magazine)
- Experts say fast, frequent service than can compete with driving on convenience is the answer to preventing a transit death spiral. (The Energy Mix)
- States are mainly spending federal infrastructure funds on highway-widening projects that undermine the Biden administration's climate goals. (E&E News)
- E-bikes are growing in popularity because they're attracting people who hadn't previously considered cycling. (Inverse)
- Instead of fighting cities, shared mobility companies have now released a framework for regulation, many of which appear intended to keep those companies from competing themselves out of existence. (Smart Cities Dive, Streetsblog USA)
- The free market, not government, should decide how much parking is enough, writes Matthew Yglesias. (Washington Post)
- Dozens of parking garages in Manhattan are at risk of collapsing (New York Times), which means some probably are in other cities, too.
- Washington became the first state to guarantee Uber and Lyft drivers family and medical leave and access to unemployment benefits. (Bloomberg)
- Dallas officials are worried that trenching I-345 will simply replace an elevated barrier with a chasm, but the Texas DOT is pushing them hard to go along with it. (D Magazine)
- Term-limited Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner hopes his successor continues on with his plan to build 1,800 miles of bike lanes. (Axios)
- Raleigh's bikeshare will resume operations in June after shutting down because its operator filed for bankruptcy. (CBS 17)
- Willamette Week readers are very much in favor of DIY street repair if the city of Portland won't do its job.
Stay in touch
Sign up for our free newsletter
More from Streetsblog USA
In NYC, Unlicensed Drivers Comprise One-Quarter Of Street Fatalities: Data
Unlicensed drivers are linked to fatal crashes much more often now than pre-pandemic
Tuesday’s Headlines Need Exercise
Every hour in a car increases the risk of obesity by 6 percent, while walking a kilometer lowers it 5 percent.
January 13, 2026
Opinion: Stop Asking If People Want to Ride Bikes
"We shouldn’t be aiming to nudge a few percentage points in public opinion. Our goal should be to make freedom of mobility so compelling that people demand it."
January 13, 2026
When the Government Says You’re ‘Weaponizing’ Your Car
Immigrations and Customs Enforcement officers have been brutalizing and killing people who they perceive as threats. Is mass automobility multiplying their pretext to do it?
January 12, 2026
Should Monday’s Headlines Carry a Carrot or a Stick?
Human beings generally don't like being forced to do anything, so Grist wonders whether policies like car bans could actually be counterproductive?
January 12, 2026
Chicago Explores Black Perspectives on Public Transit
"We're not going to fix decades of inequitable investment in one year, and things like the high-frequency bus network and the Red Line Extension are really important, but the work isn't done."
