Wednesday’s Headlines Are Built Different
Human error is not to blame for crashes, according to a former traffic engineer's new book. It's road design that prioritizes speed over safety.
By
Blake Aued
12:01 AM EDT on June 5, 2024
- “Killed by a Traffic Engineer: Shattering the Delusion That Science Underlies Our Transportation System,” a new book by civil engineering professor Wesley Marshall, puts the blame for skyrocketing traffic deaths squarely on his own profession. (City Lab)
- The Summer Olympics is a chance for Paris to showcase how it’s spurned cars in favor of greener alternatives. (NBC News)
- Bike lanes delineated by something sturdier than paint, even just cones, slow down drivers and reduce crashes, according to a Rutgers study.
- New York City’s High Line inspired other cities to turn abandoned infrastructure into public spaces. (Arch Daily)
- The Colorado DOT has stopped widening highways and turned its attention to multimodal projects instead. (New York Times)
- Breaking news from the Times: Drivers oppose paying more to drive into Manhattan, while subway riders like the idea of more money for subways.
- Charlotte officials may have oversold what transit projects they can actually build under a transportation tax compromise with Republicans. (WFAE)
- Atlanta leaders are upset that transit agency MARTA is closing its Five Points station for four years to renovate the heavy rail hub. (AJC)
- Philadelphia transit agency SEPTA is looking to at least partially solve its budget crunch by ending free parking at stations. (WHYY)
- The director of the Phoenix Department of Street Transportation talked to KTAR about the city’s Vision Zero program.
- A KCUR podcast discusses the lack of money and political will to achieve Vision Zero in Kansas City.
- A new San Antonio Municipal Court program teaches teenagers how to drive safely. (News 4 SA)
- Boise’s transit agency is going fare-free this week as riders get used to a reconfigured route network. (Idaho News 6)
- A Seattle city council member is proposing to add $100 million to Mayor Bruce Harrell’s transportation levy proposal, mostly for sidewalks. (The Urbanist)
- The “Belltown Hellcat” driver who’s been keeping Seattle sleepless was ordered by a judge to pay $83,000 in fines and fees. (Seattle Times)
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:
More from Streetsblog USA
Talking Headways Podcast: Congestion Pricing Data Collection
New York's congestion pricing data whiz discusses the program's first year.
March 26, 2026
How DC’s Mayor and Council Chair Thwarted Every Effort to Better Its Streetcar
There are two reasons why D.C. doesn't have the streetcar system it was promised — and their names are Mayor Muriel Bowser and DC Council Chair Phil Mendelson, one urbanist argues.
March 26, 2026
An Ounce of Prevention Is Worth a Pound of Thursday’s Headlines
There's so much the U.S. could have done to insulate residents from spiraling gas prices, other than suspend taxes.
March 26, 2026
Why Cities Need More ‘Agile’ Streets
When projects are routed through a full capital-improvement workflow, solutions tend toward expensive, permanent interventions — not alternatives that might achieve 80 percent of the benefit at 10 percent of the cost.
March 26, 2026
Wednesday’s Headlines Feel Pain at the Pump
High gas prices are likely to persist, and people will be driving less in response.
March 25, 2026
Comments Are Temporarily Disabled
Streetsblog is in the process of migrating our commenting system. During this transition, commenting is temporarily unavailable.
Once the migration is complete, you will be able to log back in and will have full access to your comment history. We appreciate your patience and look forward to having you back in the conversation soon.