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

Thursday’s Headlines Burn Rubber

The rate at which electric vehicles run through tires might be good for the tire business, but most of the world already has too much particle pollution.

  • Because electric vehicles are heavier than gas-powered ones and accelerate more quickly, tires for EVs cost more and wear out faster (CNBC). That's great news for the tire industry, but not so much for the people who have to breathe all that tire dust. Already, the vast majority of countries don't meet World Health Organization standards for fine particulates, which causes millions of deaths worldwide annually (New York Times).
  • Oil company Shell is selling off 1,000 gas stations to refocus on EV charging (Autoblog). Meanwhile, San Francisco is developing a plan for curbside EV chargers that will cut down on wires from apartment buildings that trip up people on sidewalks (SF Gate). Could this be an opportunity for municipal utilities to raise funding for transit?
  • Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is trying to convince a judge to scuttle bond funding for Austin's Project Connect transit expansion. (American-Statesman)
  • Speed cameras on Philadelphia's notoriously dangerous Roosevelt Boulevard have been shown to reduce crashes, encouraging the city to try them on other streets, but design changes are still needed. (WHYY)
  • Milwaukee is quadrupling its spending on street safety projects. (Wisconsin Public Radio)
  • Pittsburgh is combining several transit projects into one $150 million behemoth to streamline construction and reduce service interruptions. (CBS News)
  • A Tennessean columnist makes the case that Mayor Freddie O'Connell's transit plan will result in a more free and prosperous city.
  • A quarter of Seattle's neighborhoods lack sidewalks, and at the current pace it would take 400 years to build them all. (KOMO)
  • Harrisburg is ticketing drivers who park on sidewalks at a rate of $30 per hour. (The Burg)
  • Missoula is reshaping its downtown to make it friendlier to buses, cyclists and pedestrians. (Current)
  • London has quadruped its bike network since 2016 (Intelligent Transport). That doesn't sit well with the UK's pro-driver government, which is seeking to stymie local efforts to reduce traffic (The Guardian), even as one of its own advisers urges Tories to encourage walking and biking (also The Guardian).
  • Scotland transportation advocates are seeking to halt all new road projects. (BBC)

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Friday Video: Are We All Living in a ‘Carspiracy’?

How does "car-brain" shape the way we think about the world — even in relatively bike-friendly countries like the U.K.?

July 26, 2024

Friday’s Headlines Share and Share Alike

Bikeshares, and e-bikes and scooters generally, are becoming more popular. That's led to more injuries, highlighting the need for better infrastructure.

July 26, 2024

What the Heck is Going on With the California E-Bike Incentive Program?

The program's launch has been delayed for two years, and currently "there is no specific timeline" for it. Plus the administrator, Pedal Ahead, is getting dragged, but details are vague.

July 26, 2024

Talking Headways Podcast: Have Cities Run Out of Land?

Chris Redfearn of USC and Anthony Orlando of Cal Poly Pomona on why "pro-business" Texas housing markets are catching up to "pro-regulation" California and what it might mean for future city growth.

July 25, 2024

The Paris Plan for Olympic Traffic? Build More Bike Lanes

A push to make Paris fully bikable for the Olympics is already paying dividends long before the opening ceremonies.

July 25, 2024
See all posts