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

Thursday’s Headlines Plunge Ahead

Cities shouldn't be afraid of restricting cars. If they do, most people will not only get over it, they'll embrace it.

A car-free street in Tokyo.

|Creative Commons.
  • If U.S. officials can ever get over their fear of backlash from drivers, psychology and experience from European cities shows that restricting cars in cities will eventually become popular (BBC). London is an example, where the city is tearing up financial district roadways to turn them into bike lanes and pedestrian spaces (City Lab).
  • Poor public transit is a barrier to health care, according to a new CDC report. (Johns Hopkins)
  • Greater Greater Washington picks apart the New York Times' argument that distracted drivers are to blame for the rise in pedestrian deaths, rather than road design.
  • The American trend toward bigger, heavier and deadlier SUVs is spreading to Europe. (The Guardian)
  • The latest "driverless" cars actually do have drivers. They're just piloting the vehicles remotely like a drone or a video game. (New Atlas)
  • All it took was a few Jersey barriers to drop drivers' speeds by six miles per hour on one Indianapolis street. (WFYI)
  • Now that it's three-quarters finished, Minneapolis officials don't expect any more surprise cost increases for the Southwest light rail line. (MinnPost)
  • Detroit is boosting frequency on one of its most popular east-west bus lines. (Freep)
  • Double-tracking to boost passenger rail capacity along Lake Michigan's south shore is almost complete. (Northwest Indiana Business Magazine)
  • Valley Metro's new light rail line opens Saturday. (Fox 10 Phoenix)
  • There's still hope for rail service connecting New Orleans and Baton Rouge. (Engineering News-Record)
  • A rat — or was it a squirrel? — went splat on a Chicago sidewalk's wet concrete, and now it's a tourist attraction. (NPR)

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Thursday’s Headlines Are 2 Fast 2 Fare-Free

Fare-free bus systems are now in the U.S. DOT's crosshairs.

February 5, 2026

Reimagining Freedom: How Older Adults Can Benefit from Connecting with Other Nondrivers

Seniors often struggle when it's time to give up the keys. But they're not alone.

February 5, 2026

Forget Free Buses: NYC Should Instead Seek ‘Audacious’ Subway Expansion

The same billion-dollar outlay that Mayor Mamdani hopes to allocate for fare-free buses should be spent instead on rewriting the subway map.

February 4, 2026

Wednesday’s Headlines Ran Out of Film

As part of its constant pandering to drivers, the Trump administration is barring cities from using federal grants to buy traffic cameras.

February 4, 2026

Op-Ed: Is N.J.-Style Bikelash Coming For Your State Next?

"If a doctor treated every patient with chest pain by amputating a limb, we would call it medical malpractice. When legislators do the policy equivalent, it deserves the same label."

February 4, 2026
See all posts