Friday’s Headlines Are Down on Highways
Two outlets recently featured articles on the harmful effects of ongoing freeway projects.
By
Blake Aued
12:27 AM EDT on April 26, 2024
- Interstate highway construction is not slowing down despite its harmful effects on health and displacement of communities of color. (Transportation for America)
- Since we now know that widening highways doesn’t help congestion and creates noise, pollution and health problems for nearby residents, why are states still seizing property and knocking down homes to add new lanes? (Frontier Group)
- Transit systems are mostly built for peak-hour commuters, and that will have to change for ridership to recover in the post-COVID world where more people work from home. (The New Urban Order)
- Fast Company interviewed Lyft CEO David Risher about his plans to make the ride-hailing app profitable, which includes fighting a minimum wage for Minneapolis drivers.
- Raising speed limits on interstates also increases crash hot spots on nearby side streets, new research shows. (Streetsblog USA)
- Greater Greater Washington has a three-part series on how the D.C. Metro can avoid a fiscal cliff.
- Ridership on San Francisco’s iconic streetcar is still down more than 40 percent from pre-pandemic levels. (Axios)
- The L.A. Metro is using AI-powered cameras to ticket drivers parked in bus-only lanes. (LAist)
- Brightline’s planned bullet train to the Los Angeles area is already sparking investment in transit-oriented development in Las Vegas. (The Real Deal)
- The Teamsters union is jumping into the fight for minimum wages for Massachusetts Uber and Lyft drivers. (WBUR)
- Salt Lake City has a plan to stitch back together the east and west sides of town that are divided by a freeway and train tracks. (Salt Lake Tribune)
- Facing a $26 million funding gap and the loss of federal COVID funds next year, Kansas City’s transit agency could reinstate fares for riders who don’t meet as-yet-undefined criteria. (KCUR)
- Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed a law raising penalties for drivers who fail to stop for school buses. (WMAZ)
- The first part of a South Carolina DOT safety initiative will include protected bike lanes in Greenville, South Carolina. (Post and Courier)
- A Chicago artist’s whimsical sidewalk chalk drawings are going viral. (ABC 7)
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
Dems Push for Guardrails to Shield Federal Transportation Grants From Trump Meddling
Will Senate Democrats leverage the proposed Build America 250 Act to end President Trump's meddling in transportation funding?
June 23, 2026
Should Residents Be Allowed To Ticket Trucks That Pollute The Air?
A New Jersey Congressman opposes efforts to clear the air (but he takes donations from bus companies!).
June 23, 2026
Porchfest Brings Affordable Entertainment to the Streets
People-first streets aren’t just life-saving – they’re a cost-of-living tool. And they're fun.
June 23, 2026
Tuesday’s Headlines Call It Heavy Metal
A New York Times interactive feature shows why larger vehicles are more deadly for pedestrians.
June 23, 2026
Monday’s Headlines Are Biked Up
Out of 3,000 U.S. cities, the number that scored well on People for Bike's metrics more than doubled to 555 between 2025 and 2026.
June 22, 2026