Tuesday’s Headlines Living the Van Life
For small towns that can't support fixed-route transit, Uber-style microtransit can provide affordable rides for those who can't or don't want to drive.
By
Blake Aued
12:01 AM EDT on September 19, 2023
- Current Affairs critiques the popular urban planning website Strong Towns’ supposedly anti-car philosophy as libertarianism dressed up in progressive garb.
- Although it’s not great for big cities, microtransit can be a solution for small towns that lack the density or population to support fixed-route buses, ABC News argues.
- Nashville Mayor-elect Freddie O’Connell got his start in transportation advocacy, then politics, after his car broke down and he started riding the bus. (Axios)
- The Los Angeles suburb of Pico Rivera is pitching a 26-mile bus rapid transit line to connect a massive downtown development to regional rail. (Urbanize LA)
- The L.A. Metro is expanding priority bus lanes in West Hollywood. (CBS News)
- Sound Transit’s Tacoma streetcar opened for business last weekend. (Seattle Times)
- Memphis is the fourth-deadliest city for walking in the U.S., with 37 pedestrian deaths so far this year. (ABC 24)
- A College of Charleston professor says the school has dropped its opposition to a bike lane near campus. (Post and Courier)
- The South Florida city of Hollywood has plans for bike lanes and multi-use paths along two major streets. (Miami Herald)
- Boulder has completed its first fully protected intersection. (Beat)
- Arlington, Texas, is considering repealing a 2005 ban on motorized scooters. (KERA)
- Capital Bikeshare usage hit an all-time high in Alexandria last July. (ALX)
- Cincinnati’s streetcar also continues to break ridership records as it enters its eighth year. (Local 12)
- A Colorado cop who let a handcuffed suspect get hit by a train was sentenced to probation and community service. (Denver Post)
- Drivers have figured out a San Francisco center bike lane about as well as you’d expect. (Momentum Mag)
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
Urban Truth Collective: The One-Hour City Conspiracy
Here's the real conspiracy: Too many people are forced into car-dependent lives, with more health harms, more crashes, more noise, more air pollution, more social isolation — and less space for everything good our streets should be giving us.
April 27, 2026
Monday’s Headlines Introduce the New Green New Deal
To quote the great philosopher Kermit the Frog, "It's not easy being green."
April 27, 2026
How Intercity Bus Lines Are Rebranding To Attract New Riders
Getting people riding the bus isn't just about service; it's also about style.
April 27, 2026
Train Tubers: a Talk with the YouTube’s Transit Warriors
The masters of transit YouTube discuss their efforts to get people interested in urbanism
April 24, 2026
New E-Mobility Study Actually Reveals Need For Safer Streets, Not E-Bike Crackdowns
A new look into emergency room data at one Manhattan hospital shows a need for more infrastructure, despite what you might have read elsewhere.
April 24, 2026