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

Thursday’s Headlines ‘Round About Midnight

Why doesn't the U.S. have more roundabouts? Plus, the growing threat of violence faced by transit workers, and the fallout from Bird's bankruptcy.

City of Carmel|

Carmel, Indiana, is among the few U.S. cities investing extensively in roundabouts.

  • Roundabouts are generally safer than signalized intersections, but most parts of the U.S. don't have many, thanks to overzealous engineers and traffic-light salesmen. (Clean Technica)
  • Assaults on transit workers more than doubled between 2008 and 2021, according to federal data. (NBC News)
  • The Washington Post's Megan McArdle thinks Bird's bankruptcy may lead to a quasi-monopoly on micromobility for competitor Lime.
  • The Federal Highway Administration's proposed rules on road worker safety are getting mixed reviews from the construction industry. (Construction Equipment Guide)
  • Stepped-up traffic enforcement didn't slow the scourge of traffic deaths in Portland this year, which hit a 30-year high of 65 after drivers killed four people on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. (Willamette Week)
  • Cobb County, Georgia officials are considering a November 2024 referendum on a $12 billion transportation plan, half of which would be devoted to a network of bus rapid transit lines. But is the Atlanta suburb dense enough to support it? (AJC)
  • An Illinois court ruled that a cyclist who hit a pothole and took a spill can't sue because he wasn't the roadway's "intended" user — motorists are. (Men's Journal)
  • Baltimore light rail users are reluctant to ride after service was suspended for two weeks for emergency safety inspections. (WBAL)
  • Houston has updated 5,000 bus stops to meet or exceed the Americans with Disabilities Act's standards. (Mass Transit)
  • Two Illinois lawmakers make the case for digging Chicago transit agencies out of a looming $730 million budget deficit. (Sun-Times)
  • Des Moines buses are a lifeline for thousands of workers and students, but service could be cut by 40 percent unless local officials approve a new funding source. (Register)
  • New Orleans' Blue Bikes bikeshare surpassed 300,000 riders this year. (Biz New Orleans)
  • Honolulu once had an extensive streetcar system that carried 20 million riders a year until it was replaced by buses and cars. (Civil Beat)

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

New Camera Tech Hopes to Stop Drivers From Close-Passing Cyclists

If only policymakers could fully experience the pervasive problem of drivers passing too closely to cyclists perhaps they'd find a way to stop the deadly practice and get victims justice.

December 11, 2024

Wednesday’s Headlines Are Staying Put

Cities like Atlanta, Denver and Minneapolis provide blueprints for how transit can improve neighborhoods without pushing people out.

December 11, 2024

Op-Ed: NYC E-Bike Registration Bill Is Impossible to Enforce, Unnecessary … and Won’t Even Work

It sounds common-sense: register electric bikes just like cars. But there are so many flaws to this Council bill.

December 10, 2024

Do Tuesday’s Headlines Live in a 15-Minute City?

Find out how long it takes to walk to stores, restaurants and transit stops in your neighborhood with this Washington Post widget.

December 10, 2024

‘Trojan Horse’: NYC’s E-Bike Licensing Bill Would Fuel Anti-Immigrant Policing

Council members fail to address the e-bike registration bill's potential harmful outcomes.

December 10, 2024
See all posts