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

Thursday’s Headlines Breathe Freely

If every driver started buying electric vehicles powered by clean energy, it would prevent millions of respiratory illnesses. But the market has slowed down significantly.

Are the people in this photo inherently “vulnerable”, or are the cars inherently dangerous?

|Nick Cunard
  • Switching to electric vehicles, in combination with clean power sources, would prevent millions of illnesses among children, according to the American Lung Association (CNN). But the transition hasn't been easy, and probably won't be until EVs become more cost-competitive (Wired).
  • Street grids are making a comeback after generations of planning that isolated people in favor of moving cars (The Atlantic). For example, in Cincinnati a grassroots group led by two former mayors wants to create a new street grid in conjunction with the Brent Spencer Bridge reconstruction to avoid past urban planning mistakes that divided Black neighborhoods. (BNN)
  • Seven of the 10 most dangerous communities for biking in the U.S. are in Florida, according to a law firm's analysis of National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data. (The Guardian)
  • Amtrak is proposing two new routes in the Pacific Northwest, one running from Seattle to Denver and the other from Seattle to Chicago. (The Urbanist)
  • A commuter group is calling for the Chicago Transit Administration's director to be fired due to the increasing unreliability of service. (Chicago Magazine)
  • The Maryland Transit Administration received a $213 million federal grant to buy 52 new light rail cars. (CBS News)
  • The Atlanta city council outlawed right turns on red, but only in certain neighborhoods. (Georgia Public Broadcasting)
  • Speeding drivers keep crashing into buildings on Cincinnati's Virginia Avenue, leading residents to call on the city to do something about it. (WCPO)
  • WTKR delves into Norfolk's Vision Zero plan as part of a series on rising pedestrian deaths.
  • A new Bike Walk Macon report highlights the Georgia city's initiative to close streets to cars at times to allow children to play. (41 NBC)
  • Athens, Georgia, has a new plan to slow down drivers and prevent rising traffic deaths. (Flagpole)
  • An Albany, New York startup is developing public e-bike and scooter chargers for bikeshares. (Times Union)

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Friday Video: The Secret History of Amtrak’s Mardi Gras Service

...and what it means for new passenger rail service across America.

December 19, 2025

Friday’s Headlines Walk the Line

If you're a capitalist, the market says there's a premium for living in a walkable neighborhood. So why not supply more to meet demand?

December 19, 2025

Talking Headways Podcast: Fighting to Win

Carter Lavin talks with Jeff Wood about the necessity of messy politics in obtaining street safety.

December 18, 2025

Streetsblog’s ‘Car-Free Carolers’ Bring the Joy, Mirth and Ho-Ho-Hope to this Holiday Season

Streetsblog's singers are back, belting out their parody classics to make a serious point: New York's roadways don't have to be dangerous places for kids and lungs, but can be joyous spaces for people to walk around, shop, eat or just ... hang out.

December 18, 2025

Study: More Protected Bike Lanes = More Micromobility Users

This ought to silence doubters who claim that no one's using that shiny new cycle track.

December 18, 2025

Thursday’s Headlines Are Hot-Blooded, Check It and See

Hopefully the Earth won't have a fever of 103 when judges get done with the Trump administration's proposal to dismantle greenhouse gas regulations.

December 18, 2025
See all posts