All Aboard for Tuesday’s Headlines
Amtrak is on pace to break 2019's record of 32 million riders. And The Guardian goes in-depth on plans for high-speed rail in the U.S.
By
Blake Aued
1:00 AM EDT on June 18, 2024
- Amtrak is on pace to break its ridership record this year. Ridership is up 20 percent over the same period in 2023, its CEO said at a House hearing. (Reuters)
- “Train Daddy” Andy Byford thinks Americans will clamor for more high-speed rail once one route is up and running. (The Guardian)
- The kids are alright: Car-centric suburbs should emulate the walkability of older suburbs and small cities, writes a University of Michigan student in The Michigan Review.
- A new Federal Highway Administration report confirming that congestion pricing will in fact reduce congestion and improve air quality puts more pressure on Gov. Kathy Hochul to reverse course. (Streetsblog NYC)
- The official ballot language for a Nashville transportation referendum is going to the city council for approval. (WPLN)
- New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy added $100 million for transit-oriented development to his proposed budget. (Spotlight News)
- BCycle had hoped to hang on until the Houston Metro could start its own bikeshare, but now plans to shutter at the end of June. (Houston Public Media)
- A new report from the Utah Foundation urges Salt Lake City to reform its zoning and turn vacant buildings and parking lots into housing. (Tribune)
- Honolulu got rid of minimum parking requirements in the city center in 2020, but developers keep building parking anyway. (Civil Beat)
- The Boston-area city of Somerville will build 29 miles of protected bike lanes by 2030. (Globe)
- London is reclaiming its streets from cars in 72 low-traffic neighborhoods. (Reasons to Be Cheerful)
- Edinburgh has banned SUV advertising. (Washington Post)
- Reece Martin suggests that Canadian cities should implement congestion pricing.
- Euro News lays out how Paris became the City of Bikes.
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
