Monday’s Headlines Are Data-Driven
Does your city know where fatal crashes are actually happening? Plus, Pete Buttigieg revisits rail safety one year after East Palestine.
By
Blake Aued
12:01 AM EST on February 19, 2024
- Identifying high-injury networks can help cities put their Vision Zero dollars to work on the most dangerous streets and intersections. (Strong Towns)
- A year after the East Palestine toxic chemical spill, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is still urging Congress to pass the Bipartisan Railway Safety Act. (PBS)
- A longtime top city planner writes that his profession has gotten away from designing cities for people in harmony with nature. (Scientific American)
- Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell announced that the city will move forward with a transit referendum this November. (Tennessean)
- In an effort to convince Republican state legislators to let them hold a tax referendum, Charlotte officials are taking a “roads first” approach to transportation and putting transit projects aside. (WFAE)
- The Cleveland Scene has a long story about how the Ohio city became so dependent on parking.
- The Brightline West rail line between Los Angeles and Las Vegas could transform the communities along the route with opportunities for transit-oriented development. (California Planning & Development Report)
- Midtown Kansas City residents worry an influx of money and new residents from a streetcar extension will displace them. (Flatland)
- Denver is tweaking a fee that funds sidewalk maintenance to take pressure off low-income homeowners and those with corner lots. (Denverite)
- Members of the Los Angeles transit workers’ union are fighting Lyft’s effort to take over the municipal bikeshare service. (Jacobin)
- The Atlanta Journal-Constitution‘s Gridlock Guy defends the use of cameras to catch speeders in school zones.
- Residents have started moving into a car-free development in Tempe. (The Cool Down)
- The first part of Seattle’s East Link light rail line will start running in April. (KING 5)
- Fed Ex is replacing diesel delivery vans in London with pedal-assist cargo bikes. (Smart Cities World)
Blake Aued has been doing Streetsblog's daily national news digest for years. He's also an Atlanta Braves fan, which enrages his editor in New York.
Read More:
More from Streetsblog USA
How (And Why) To Capture the Livable Streets Movement on Film
Clarence Eckerson Jr. of Streetfilms talks with "The War on Cars" about how he uses filmmaking as a tool to make cities better.
November 10, 2026
Tuesday’s Headlines Are Still Surfing the Blue Wave
Politicians may not realize it, but U.S. voters are overwhelmingly in favor of transit.
November 10, 2026
The Growing Vehicle Problem That California Needs to Address
As pedestrian and cyclist deaths rise, the growing size and weight of American vehicles are making streets more dangerous. Here's some solutions: tax oversized vehicles, improve safety ratings and make smaller electric vehicles a more practical option for everyday trips.
November 9, 2026
How to Fight a Freeway 101
A new guide gives advocates the basics to building a campaign against harmful infrastructure in their neighborhoods — and the best time to start is now.
November 9, 2026
Monday’s Headlines Come Heavy or Not at All
The Transport Workers Union takes aim at Amtrak's new policy allowing guns onboard trains.
November 9, 2026