Friday’s Headlines Have Bad News and Bad News
Two rather pessimistic stories wonder whether the U.S. will ever rid itself of the car death cult.
By
Blake Aued
12:01 AM EDT on June 30, 2023
- We know how to stem the tide of needless traffic deaths in the U.S. — redesign streets and regulate vehicle size. It’s just that bureaucratic inertia and industry lobbyists prevent us from doing it. (The American Prospect)
- Can city planners ever halt, let alone reverse, the car-centric sprawl of the past 100 years? (Deseret News)
- Recognizing the often hidden costs of being stuck in traffic, the National Review urges conservatives to be open-minded about congestion pricing.
- A new survey found that three-quarters of Americans would pay more for a house in a walkable neighborhood. The percentage drops with age, though, from 92 percent among Gen Z to 56 percent for the Silent or Greatest generation. (Realtor Magazine)
- Trucks drive 175 billion miles each year in the U.S., and between a fifth and a third of those miles, they are empty. (Transport Topics)
- The California budget deal still leaves Bay Area transit agencies $60 million short. (SFBay)
- A short circuit probably caused an accident that killed a Boston train rider last year, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. (Railway Age)
- A venture capitalist tried to talk Austin into spending $2.6 billion on a network of tunnels built by Elon Musk’s Boring Company. (Fortune)
- Denver cyclists can now register their bikes with the city to help identify them if they’re stolen and recovered. (Denverite)
- Kansas City’s transit agency has dropped plans to build a transit-oriented high-rise and dissolved its development arm. (Flatland)
- St. Louis has plans to improve 10 of its most dangerous intersections. (Post-Dispatch)
- While some cities consider banning new drive-throughs, walkup windows are already popular in Minneapolis and St. Paul. (MinnPost)
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:
Streetsblog has migrated to a new comment system. New commenters can register directly in the comments section of any article. Returning commenters: your previous comments and display name have been preserved, but you'll need to reclaim your account by clicking "Forgot your password?" on the sign-in form, entering your email, and following the verification link to set a new password — this is required because passwords could not be carried over during the migration. For questions, contact tips@streetsblog.org.
More from Streetsblog USA
Thursday’s Headlines Are a Gas, Gas, Gas
Key House Republicans killed an irresponsible, politically motivated bill to suspend the federal gas tax.
September 17, 2026
Traffic Noise Kills 6,330 Americans a Year; We Stopped Counting in 1982
Removing just five decibels of noise from our neighborhoods would save lives. So why aren't we even measuring it, never mind taking action to quiet our streets?
September 17, 2026
What You Missed in the Transportation Reauthorization This Summer
Congressional negotiations over America's next big transportation law hit some speed bumps this summer — but that doesn't mean there isn't work to be done.
September 16, 2026
Wednesday’s Headlines Pay Through the Nose to Drive
The average American car owner spends about $15,000 a year on their vehicle, according to a AAA analysis of Bureau of Labor statistics.
September 16, 2026
Exclusive: NYC Hires Company To Install E-Car Charging Posts In Public Space
The small expansion of e-car charging stations is a small down payment on the city’s larger plan to permanently allocate more public space for the automobile.
September 15, 2026
