Do Wednesday’s Headlines Yield, Sir Knight?
The feds are taking Norfolk Southern to court over freight trains failing to yield to Amtrak. Plus, more bad news about Americans' driving habits and the climate.
By
Blake Aued
12:01 AM EDT on July 31, 2024
- The U.S. Justice Department filed a complaint in federal court accusing freight hauler Norfolk Southern of failing to yield for Amtrak trains as required by law. (New York Times)
- Seniors who shouldn’t be driving are often reluctant to give up their keys because they know that, in this car-centric country, they’re essentially cutting themselves off from society. (Jalopnik)
- Even the U.S. DOT admits that Americans need to start driving less if the U.S. is going to meet its climate goals, because even with a clean energy grid, electric vehicles alone won’t cut it. (Streetsblog USA)
- California Democrats and unions vowed to continue fighting for Uber and Lyft drivers’ labor rights after a recent state Supreme Court ruling. (Sacramento Bee)
- Preliminary data from Texas shows that using AI to correctly time traffic lights can lead to a 29 percent reduction in crashes caused by driver distraction. (Route Fifty)
- Nashville’s transit plan would be funded by sales taxes, which are regressive and hit the poor hardest, but there are ways the city can mitigate the impact, like exempting groceries or free bus passes for low-income riders. (WPLN)
- The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette editorial board called for Pennsylvania lawmakers to provide a dedicated funding stream for transit agencies.
- A future park over the Downtown Connector in Midtown Atlanta is dead for now after its main benefactor, Chick-Fil-A Chairman Dan Cathy, pulled the plug. But similar plans to cap freeways downtown and in Atlanta’s northern suburbs are still moving along. (Saporta Report)
- Dallas officials are pushing for lower speed limits in residential neighborhoods. (Express)
- The bike/ped group formerly known as Our Streets Minneapolis expanding its mission beyond the Minnesota city. (MinnPost)
- This video of an e-bike “racing” a dump truck in Los Angeles shows that e-bikes can keep up with traffic, but also how harrowing it can be to ride a two-wheeled vehicle in a car-centric city. (Clean Technica)
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
Inside Baseball: Kuntzman To Step Down At Streetsblog; David Meyer To Take Over
Streetsblog's longtime editor will take on new challenges. And so will his successor.
October 9, 2026
Friday Video(s): Two Urban Cycling Trips Worth Taking
Choose your own urban cycling adventure: domestic or international edition.
October 9, 2026
Friday’s Headlines Pay a Lot for Parking
The average apartment-dweller pays $200 a month for a parking space, included in their rent, whether they use it or not.
October 9, 2026
Talking Headways Podcast: The Long Road to Real Transit Progress
Jeff Wood and Reece Martin discuss China’s lessons for American infrastructure.
October 8, 2026
Thursday’s Headlines Are Another Front in the Culture War
David Zipper explains how transportation, once an issue with broad consensus, became politically polarized.
October 8, 2026
