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

Monday’s Headlines Pay the Price

Electric vehicles certainly aren't the be-all end-all, but if they're even going to serve as a transition away from fossil fuels, shouldn't states stop taxing them so much?

Gregory Varnum, CC|

Photo: Gregory Varnum, CC

  • Conservative states are placing what critics are calling 'punitive' fees on electric vehicle owners, well above what the driver of an internal combustion car would pay in gas taxes for road maintenance (Politico). A carbon tax would be a better way to make people and corporations pay for their fair share of damage to roads or the environment (The Conversation).
  • The U.S. banned cigarette ads because of the damage tobacco causes to public health. Should we also ban car commercials that contribute to congestion by showing vehicles zooming down the open road with no traffic in sight? (Policy Options)
  • Some transit projects like the Hudson River tunnel carry eye-popping price tags, but when you look at how many riders those projects will carry, the cost isn't really that high. (Eno Center for Transportation)
  • Cal Matters makes the case that speed cameras will protect people of color and low-income communities from unfair enforcement, rather than target them.
  • Jobs and cheap housing continue to draw people to the Sun Belt despite the heat-related risks of climate change. (The Atlantic)
  • The National Association of City Transportation Officials has some suggestions for improving the federal manual that guides road projects all over the country. (Republished by Streetsblog USA)
  • A metro Chicago planning agency will soon produce a report on how to make transit sustainable, which could include raising or lowering fares, as well as consolidating agencies. (Sun-Times)
  • Minneapolis approved legislation to boost pay for Uber and Lyft drivers, standing up to the companies' threats to pull out of the city entirely. (Minnesota Public Radio)
  • The Federal Transit Administration is starting a probe into safety on Philadelphia's transit agency. (Billy Penn)
  • Cyclists live in fear, even in a bike-friendly city like Seattle. (Crosscut)
  • Kansas City voters will decide whether to renew a transit tax this November. (KCUR)
  • Meet the suburban "snout house," which treats living space for humans as an afterthought to storage for cars. (Jalopnik)

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Tuesday’s Sprawling Headlines

Sprawl seems to be having a moment, but it remains a very shortsighted and environmentally disastrous way to solve the housing crisis.

July 1, 2025

Does Constant Driving Really Make Our Country Richer?

A new study reveals that constant driving is making America less productive and prosperous — and getting people on other modes could help right the ship.

July 1, 2025

‘We’re Not Copenhagen’ Is No Excuse Not to Build a Great Biking And Walking City

A team of researchers identified eight under-the-radar cities leading the local active transportation revolution — and a menu of strategies that other communities can and should steal.

June 30, 2025

Monday’s Headlines, Ranked

New reports rank the best cities for biking and the best complete streets policies. Plus, the robotaxi wars have begun.

June 30, 2025

Washington State Is About To Have the First Pro-‘Woonerf’ Law in America

Washington state is making it legal for cities to have people-centered streets in a first-in-the-nation law.

June 30, 2025

Friday’s Headlines Are Doomed

Philadelphia transit is falling off the fiscal cliff, with other major cities not far behind. And the effects of service cuts on their economies could be brutal.

June 27, 2025
See all posts