Monday’s Headlines Celebrate New Transit

More than 1,000 miles of new urban transit lines opened in 2023, according to Yonah Freemark's annual compilation of projects.

By Blake Aued

12:01 AM EST on January 8, 2024

Phillip Pessar|

Brightline’s link between Miami and Orlando was one of the many transit projects completed in 2023.

Yonah Freemark's annual list of worldwide transit projects is here, and 45 percent of them are in China, although he does count 15 major openings in the U.S. (The Transport Politic)
Investing in bike infrastructure is one of the most cost-effective ways to cut greenhouse gas emissions. (Transport Matters)
The recent rise in traffic deaths doesn't mean Vision Zero isn't working — just that it's only being implemented piecemeal. (Vision Zero Network)
The 21 red states suing the Biden administration over a new transportation emissions reporting requirement are engaging in climate denial. (Route Fifty, Streetsblog USA)
Slate's TBD podcast examines why the Tesla Cybertruck is especially dangerous for pedestrians.
A New York City teacher's union filed a lawsuit seeking to block congestion pricing in Manhattan. (Reuters)
Inglewood received a $1 billion federal grant for a people-mover that will take sports fans from the nearest L.A. Metro station to a cluster of arenas and stadiums. (CBS News)
A California state legislator filed a bill to consolidate the Bay Area's 27 — yes, 27 — transit agencies into one. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Drivers killed more people in Portland last year than any other year on record. (Axios)
The D.C. Metro knew about wheel problems that caused a 2021 train derailment for years, according to a National Transportation Safety Board investigation. (Washington Post)
Republicans in the Indiana legislature want to ban bus-only lanes for the Blue Line bus rapid transit project in Indianapolis (WRTV) and overturn the city's new no-right-on-red law (Fox 59).
San Antonio Report profiles city DOT director Cat Hernandez, whose sister was killed by a drunk driver.
Is this Birmingham, England office building a monument to midcentury architecture that should be preserved, or a monument to car-centric design that should be demolished? (BBC)
Winnipeg has an ambitious plan to modernize its transit system starting in 2025. (Free Press)