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

Wednesday’s Headlines Were Bankrupted by Cars

More than six percent of Americans are at least two months behind on their car payments, a nearly 30-year high, and the problem is only likely to get worse.

quoteinspector.com
  • More Americans are currently behind on their auto loans since at least 1994. (Bloomberg)
  • People are living in their cars in part because their monthly payments are so high they can't afford rent. (New York Times)
  • Portland officials are considering suspending bike parking requirements as a way to bring down housing costs, which even some bike advocates surprisingly support as a temporary measure. (Bike Portland)
  • The L.A. Metro is on track to hit pre-pandemic ridership levels soon. (LAist)
  • Honolulu has until the end of the year to resolve a dispute with the Federal Transit Administration and receive $744 million in federal funds for a light rail line. (Civil Beat)
  • St. Louis County will reconsider funding for regional transit after a measure deadlocked because one Democratic council member was absent. (Post-Dispatch)
  • A one-year pilot program in poverty-stricken New Orleans will provide fare-free transit for youth. (Transit Center)
  • The Austin city council wants to delay the start of construction on I-35 due to air quality concerns. (Monitor)
  • Gov. Spencer Cox has previously acknowledged that Utah can't pave its way out of congestion, but now wants to widen I-15 and other state roads as part of an Olympics bid. (Salt Lake City Weekly)
  • Since state lawmakers in Annapolis control the Baltimore transit system, one city delegate asked them to come ride it. (Banner)
  • Stanford University's hospital is violating an expansion agreement with Palo Alto to limit the number of employees driving to work and could have to pay a $4 million fine. (The Almanac)
  • Buffalo is testing "smart streets" with bike lanes, moveable curbs, heated sidewalks and more on a seven-block stretch of downtown. (News)
  • Forget flying cars — Uber is now disrupting the hot air balloon business. (Insider)

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Wednesday’s Headlines Don’t Got a Fast Car

If Tracy Chapman had saved "just a little bit of money" these days, she'd be in trouble.

March 4, 2026

Dear Trump: the Future Belongs to the Efficient

Trump abandoned climate protection goals claiming that cheap fossil fuel helps consumers and the economy. A mobility-focused analysis shows that he is wrong: resource efficiency is the key to health, economic success and happiness.

March 4, 2026

Tuesday’s Headlines Are a Little Bit Safer

Traffic deaths are down about 12 percent, which the National Safety Council attributes to new technology and infrastructure investments.

March 3, 2026

Could Refurbished E-Bikes Be the Secret Weapon of the Livable Streets Movement?

A high-quality used market could be the boost America needs to get would-be riders off the sidelines and into the saddle, a new report argues.

March 3, 2026

How the ‘Little Free Pantry’ Can Help Feed the Hungry Without Requiring Them to Drive

Researchers are trying to reduce the mobility barrier to food by bringing it directly to neighborhoods.

March 3, 2026

Exactly How Much It Cost to Build the Average Parking Space In Your City

For new apartments, the research found that building required parking adds roughly $50,000 to $100,000 per unit, and disproportionately increases the cost to build smaller apartments.

March 2, 2026
See all posts