Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
Today's Headlines

Friday’s Headlines Can’t Drive 55

Does lowering speed limits actually slow down drivers? It's hard to say, given a lack of data. Meanwhile, New York state might start addressing speeding by focusing on lead-footed drivers' cars.

The MUTCD is part of the reason why American speed limits are set based on how fast drivers feel compelled to go, and not how fast they should go to protect vulnerable road users. Image: Richard Drdul via Creative Commons

|Richard Drdul via Creative Commons
  • AAA tried to look at whether raising or lowering speed limits influenced drivers' behavior, but found there isn't much data. Still, it's clear that speed is a factor in traffic deaths, and that other factors like street design also influence how fast drivers go. (Route Fifty)
  • Pedestrian deaths rose 77 percent in the U.S. from 2010 to 2021, largely because heavier, taller and more dangerous trucks and SUVs now make up three-quarters of all vehicles sold, up from a third in 1990 (The Conversation). But there are a few simple things cities can do to reverse the trend (Ars Technica).
  • A New York state bill would require habitual speeders to install speed-limiting devices on their vehicles. (Government Technology, StreetsblogNYC)
  • Uber and Lyft are trying to get a referendum on the Massachusetts ballot to deny their drivers labor rights and benefits. (WGBH)
  • A Portland survey found that 60 percent of residents would ride transit and 45 percent would bike if they felt it were affordable and safe. (Bike Portland)
  • Milwaukee's new downtown plan calls for exploring the removal of I-794. (WPR)
  • Link light rail service in Seattle has been suspended because the ground beneath the tracks is sinking. (My Northwest)
  • Nashville is creating a bike and pedestrian safety advisory commission. (News Channel 5)
  • Cincinnati is the only city in the country that owns an interstate railway, and now the city wants to sell it for $1.6 billion and put the money in a trust fund for infrastructure. (Governing)
  • Lime is bringing 200 e-bikes to St. Paul. (Pioneer Press)
  • Fast-growing Savannah is seeking a $23 million federal Vision Zero grant. (The Current)
  • Jacksonville's transit agency is the first to accept fare payment via Cash App. (Metro Magazine)

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Friday Video: The Secret History of Amtrak’s Mardi Gras Service

...and what it means for new passenger rail service across America.

December 19, 2025

Friday’s Headlines Walk the Line

If you're a capitalist, the market says there's a premium for living in a walkable neighborhood. So why not supply more to meet demand?

December 19, 2025

Talking Headways Podcast: Fighting to Win

Carter Lavin talks with Jeff Wood about the necessity of messy politics in obtaining street safety.

December 18, 2025

Streetsblog’s ‘Car-Free Carolers’ Bring the Joy, Mirth and Ho-Ho-Hope to this Holiday Season

Streetsblog's singers are back, belting out their parody classics to make a serious point: New York's roadways don't have to be dangerous places for kids and lungs, but can be joyous spaces for people to walk around, shop, eat or just ... hang out.

December 18, 2025

Study: More Protected Bike Lanes = More Micromobility Users

This ought to silence doubters who claim that no one's using that shiny new cycle track.

December 18, 2025

Thursday’s Headlines Are Hot-Blooded, Check It and See

Hopefully the Earth won't have a fever of 103 when judges get done with the Trump administration's proposal to dismantle greenhouse gas regulations.

December 18, 2025
See all posts