Friday’s Headlines Pedal Politically
The simple act of riding a bike has now become part of the culture war, in defiance of facts.
By
Blake Aued
12:01 AM EDT on May 31, 2024
- Never mind that the more people who ride bikes, the safer it gets, or that biking has been proven to be good for the environment and small businesses. It’s just another front in the culture war now. (Momentum)
- Miles per gallon is not the best way to measure fuel efficiency, yet U.S. policy uses that metric to encourage manufacturers to make already fuel-efficient vehicles more efficient while ignoring gas-guzzling trucks and SUVs, David Zipper wrote for Vox.
- The EPA doled out $900 million for more than 500 school districts nationwide to buy clean buses. (E&E News)
- The federal government has fallen behind on regulating driverless vehicles. (Automotive World)
- The New York Times went in-depth into General Motors’ efforts to restart AV division Cruise after a series of scandals.
- Can’t get your city to install a bench at a bus stop? Be a guerilla urbanist and DIY. (Smart Cities Dive)
- Minnesota legislators are giving the state DOT a bigger role in the Blue Line in hopes that they can avoid the delays and cost overruns associated with the Met Council-run Southwest light rail project. (Star Tribune)
- Construction is set to start on a $250 million Las Vegas light rail project. (ENR Southwest)
- San Antonio’s VIA transit agency is investing $735 million in bus rapid transit. (My San Antonio)
- Pittsburgh Regional Transit approved a $700 million budget for fiscal 2025. (Transportation Today)
- Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg wants to create a standalone city DOT. (Louisville Public Media)
- Tampa is putting a dangerous stroad on a road diet. (Tampa Bay Times)
- Here’s how to get around Salt Lake City on a bike. (Salt Lake Magazine)
- The D.C. Circulator bus is on the chopping block in Washington. (Washingtonian)
- A Western Massachusetts transit agency is going fare-free this summer. (New England Public Media)
- Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly announced $6 million in mostly federal funds for road safety. (KOAM)
- The car-centric nation of New Zealand has a lot to learn from Barcelona’s superblocks. (The Conversation)
- Cuts to Montreal’s transit system may have already put it in a death spiral. (Gazette)
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
Tuesday’s Headlines Curb Their Enthusiasm
Curbs: They're not just for parking anymore.
April 21, 2026
‘Best Bikeshare in America’: An Unexpected Community Launches Free, All-Electric Micromobility For Residents
Omaha and neighboring Council Bluffs, Iowa share an expansive e-bikeshare network that punches above its weight, supporters say — and now, it's free to all residents, too.
April 21, 2026
‘A Solution, But To What Problem?’ Experts Say AVs Are The Elephant In The Room, But There’s Still Time To Figure Out Their Role
Want to know more about autonomous vehicles? Read this vital excerpt from last week's "The Future of Transportation" seminar.
April 20, 2026
When Traffic Violence Hits The Same Family Twice — Years Apart, On Exactly the Same Street
The deaths of a Colorado married couple has some mourning an eerie coincidence — and others outraged at two predictable tragedies that could have been prevented.
April 20, 2026
Monday’s Headlines Should Wean Themselves Off Fossil Fuels
Even people who don't drive wind up paying when oil prices spike.
April 20, 2026