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.

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

|City of Carmel
  • 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

Three Theories About Why U.S. Car Crash Deaths Are Plummeting

Car crash deaths are down by 12 percent, a top group estimates — but why?

March 4, 2026

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

Federal Judge Rules Trump Can’t Kill Congestion Pricing

Trump does not have the power to toss out the Biden administration's decision to authorize the tolls, Judge Lewis Liman ruled.

March 3, 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
See all posts