Friday’s Headlines Do the Electric Slide
Cities and counties want to electrify their bus fleets, and federal funds are available to do so, but the private sector just can't seem to keep up with demand.
By
Blake Aued
12:01 AM EDT on September 1, 2023
- Local governments want to electrify their bus fleets (American City and County), and federal money is available — the D.C. Metro recently received $100 million (Washington Post). Yet bus manufacturers are struggling financially (Smart Cities Dive). What happens if they can’t meet all the orders? (Government Technology)
- Early data from NASA’s pollution-monitoring satellite shows unhealthy levels of nitrogen dioxide, a smog ingredient produced by burning fossil fuels, above U.S. cities. (Houston Public Media)
- Why aren’t more suburbs emulating Peachtree City, Georgia, and its extensive network of golf cart trails that can also be used by cyclists? (Bloomberg)
- After defeating a Utah oil train, Colorado officials and activists are hoping for passenger rail instead. (Colorado Newsline)
- Great — to deal with a bus driver shortage, Philadelphia is paying parents $300 a month to drive their kids to school. (WHYY)
- Connecticut transit is too car-centric, and it should emulate Stockholm’s more bike-friendly roads instead, writes a CT Mirror columnist.
- The University of Texas supports capping I-35 in Austin. (KUT)
- A thriving Metro is essential for D.C. to meet its climate goals. (Greater Greater Washington)
- Public Source and Belt Mag look back on the tragic crash that change Pittsburgh’s stance toward bike safety for the better.
- New Orleans’ Blue Krewe is the first bikeshare in the U.S. to unionize. (Truthout)
- Portland Monthly profiles a local mom who organizes bike buses to school.
- Robotaxis are ubiquitous in San Francisco, and Uber and Lyft drivers share the dumbest things they’ve seen them do. (SFist)
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
Where the Hottest Blocks in Your City Are — And How To Cool Them Down
A cutting-edge tool is helping city leaders identify where they most badly need street trees, bus shelters, and more.
April 15, 2026
Wednesday’s Headlines Hop on Board Carefully
Riding the bus is safe. Walking to and from the bus stop, not so much.
April 15, 2026
What If All Cars Were Autonomous, Electric, and Free?
Can we really solve the problems of car dominance just by making cars less destructive?
April 14, 2026
“Why Do We Do This Bill?”: Preparing Congressional Staff for Surface Transportation Reauthorization
A top advocacy organization is preparing Congress to take a critical look at the upcoming transportation reauthorization — and it's not easy.
April 14, 2026
Tuesday’s Headlines Try, Try Again
Maybe another climate conference can succeed on phasing out fossil fuels where COP30 failed.
April 14, 2026