Wednesday’s Headlines at a Discount
We talk a lot about how parking minimums drive up housing costs, but so do overly wide roads. Why not take away a lane or two and let people build on the land?
By
Blake Aued
12:01 AM EDT on October 4, 2023
- Shrinking roads creates more room for buildings, which lowers the cost of housing. (Fast Company)
- Demonstration projects can help build support for permanent bike lanes, especially now that many cities like Washington, D.C. have already built the politically easiest projects. (Greater Greater Washington)
- Widening I-35 through Austin will dump millions more tons of carbon into the atmosphere, but that doesn’t seem to bother the Texas DOT. (CityLab)
- Since heavier vehicles are more dangerous for cyclists and pedestrians, Colorado lawmakers are considering a bill to tax them at a higher rate, with the funding going toward safety projects. (Colorado Public Radio)
- Colorado’s abundance of off-street parking is driving up housing costs. (Newsline)
- Philadelphia transit workers voted to authorize a strike if a deal on a new contract isn’t reached by the end of the month. (Inquirer)
- Des Moines transit needs a small property tax hike to avoid service cuts affecting its most vulnerable residents. (Axios)
- A new plan for the Anchorage region envisions 130 miles of new biking and walking trails. (Daily News)
- Spewing conspiracy theories about 15-minute cities (Wired) is probably not a great political strategy for Tories in the UK, where many voters have already seen the benefits of slow streets (The Guardian).
- Amsterdam is trying to prepare drivers for the switch in two months to a 30-kilometer-per-hour speed limit. (The Mayor)
- Glasgow has a free app that allows users to find bike parking, reserve it and pay for it. (Smart Cities World)
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
Push Grows To Move Parking Enforcement From NYPD To DOT
Two community boards want the job to go to the agency already in charge of the streets.
April 13, 2026
Can This Tool Predict Where Your City’s Next Car Crash Will Happen?
But will U.S. transportation leaders use it to take preemptive action to make roadways safer?
April 13, 2026
Monday’s Headlines Show the True Cost of Climate Change
Making cars slightly cheaper in the short run in exchange for accelerating climate change is not a good tradeoff.
April 13, 2026
Friday Video: RIP, The D.C. Streetcar
Advocates are mourning the loss of the D.C. streetcar ... but they'e not entirely sad to see it die.
April 10, 2026
You’re Authorized to Read Friday’s Headlines
An important federal transportation funding bill is in the works. Here's what to look out for.
April 10, 2026