Honey, I Shrunk Tuesday’s Headlines
It's actually EV batteries that need shrinking due to the environmental damage caused by lithium mining, according to the CEO of Stellantis.
By
Blake Aued
12:52 AM EDT on April 9, 2024
- The CEO of automaker Stellantis said at a recent mobility forum that the size of electric vehicles’ lithium batteries needs to be cut in half to have a meaningful environmental impact (Autoblog). Others at the forum argued for shifting to biofuels or public transit instead of focusing on EVs. (Transport Topics)
- Transit agencies are slowly adjusting to the post-COVID reality of fewer rush-hour commuters and more spread-out demand, but not fast enough to avoid a fiscal cliff when emergency federal funding runs out. (Railway Tracks & Structures)
- A U.S. DOT audit found that state transportation projects need more federal oversight. (Smart Cities Dive)
- Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says he supports high-speed rail between Houston and Dallas. Amtrak took over the project last year after private investors backed out. (NBC DFW)
- Frustrated with delays and cost overruns, Minnesota legislators want the state DOT to take over building major Twin Cities transit projects, but the DOT says it doesn’t have the resources to take on more work. (Star Tribune)
- Seattle’s Sound Transit has ordered 10 new rail cars in anticipation of shortages when the Federal Way light rail line opens in 2026. (The Urbanist)
- Denver held a community bike ride to celebrate the opening of a protected bike lane on Broadway. (Gazette)
- The Utah Transit Authority wants to extend its Frontrunner commuter rail line southward from Provo to Payson. (KSL)
- El Paso’s climate chief says that less driving and constraining sprawl are the keys to addressing climate change. (El Paso Matters)
- Due to the carbon footprint, Germany’s postal service will no longer deliver domestic letters by air. (Euronews)
- Montreal will spend $30 million this year to expand its bike network by about 20 miles. (Momentum Mag)
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:
Streetsblog has migrated to a new comment system. New commenters can register directly in the comments section of any article. Returning commenters: your previous comments and display name have been preserved, but you'll need to reclaim your account by clicking "Forgot your password?" on the sign-in form, entering your email, and following the verification link to set a new password — this is required because passwords could not be carried over during the migration. For questions, contact tips@streetsblog.org.
More from Streetsblog USA
Friday Video: Take Transit to the World Cup … If You Can Afford It
Why are some cities forced to charge high fares to World Cup visitors who want to take the train, while others are giving away rides nearly for free?
May 1, 2026
Good Public Transit + Good Public Funding = Good Public Health
Transit agencies need to do more to remind policy makers of the connection between good public transportation and good public health, a report argues.
May 1, 2026
Friday’s Headlines Walk Warily
Don't be fooled by declining statistics. Walking in the U.S. is still too dangerous.
May 1, 2026
Boston’s New Climate Plan Is At Odds With Boston’s New Transportation Policies
Mayor Wu's climate plan calls on the city to cut traffic and "transform" its transportation system, but City Hall leadership is cancelling and delaying projects that would actually accomplish those goals.
April 30, 2026
Talking Headways Podcast: The Logistics of Package Delivery
Benjamin Fong on out how e-commerce companies like Amazon have built their logistics systems and the difficulty of last-mile delivery.
April 30, 2026