- 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)
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?
By Blake Aued
Photo: Gregory Varnum, CC
|Gregory Varnum, CCRead More:
Stay in touch
Sign up for our free newsletter
More from Streetsblog USA
New Bill Would Help ‘REPAIR’ America’s Worst Infrastructure — By Reimagining It For People
The concept of "reconnecting communities" torn apart by federal infrastructure has come under fire by GOP leaders in Washington. This Senator says it's time to renew the program anyway — and more than triple its funding.
December 22, 2025
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.
