- The best way to make streets safer is to make them narrower, according to a Johns Hopkins study published last year (Route Fifty) Streetsblog covered it back then, too. (Streetsblog USA) Another study by the University of Iowa found that road diets had no effect on emergency vehicle response times (Ars Technica).
- Vox explains the concept of induced demand: When engineers widen highways, it reduces congestion at first. But then more people start driving, and before long traffic is just as bad as before, with more cars on the road.
- Even when it tries, Caltrans is not very good at Complete Streets. (Cal Bikes)
- The South Pasadena police force has become one of the first in the country to go all-electric. (Government Technology)
- Cincinnati residents filed a civil rights complaint over the Brent Spence Bridge project, alleging it will harm minority and low-income neighborhoods. (WCPO)
- Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker ordered city workers back to the office, but thanks to pandemic-related transit cuts, it won't be easy for some of them to get there. (Governing)
- Southeast Pennsylvania Transportation Authority riders who participated in a WHYY focus group want more streamlined service.
- Milwaukee killed a streetcar route designed to bring festival-goers to the lakefront, even though the new configuration increased ridership. (Urban Milwaukee)
- A $400 million budget shortfall could force Vancouver's TransLink to cut bus service in half and eliminate express commuter rail. (Mass Transit)
- A couple wrote to Miss Manners saying they're tired of being ridiculed for riding a tandem bike. (Washington Post)
Today's Headlines
Friday’s Headlines Slim Down
Narrower lanes make safer streets, and contrary to popular belief, yes, ambulances can still get through.
By Blake Aued
A road diet in Hillsboro, Va.
Read More:
Stay in touch
Sign up for our free newsletter
More from Streetsblog USA
Thursday’s Headlines Are Charged Up for the Fourth
The Republican megabill is bad for the electric vehicle industry, but it could be worse.
July 3, 2025
Why is the Secretary of Transportation Begging Americans to Take More Road Trips?
Instead of making America easier to see on all modes, the US Department of Transportation is encouraging U.S. residents to just get in their cars and drive.
July 3, 2025
Wednesday’s Headlines Are for the Children
From mothers with babies in strollers to preteens on bikes, much of the U.S. is hostile to families just trying to get around without a car.
July 2, 2025
Trump Priorities Spark Sudden Reorganization of Key Transportation Research Body
"It's [an] unprecedented overreach into science."
July 2, 2025
Trump’s DOT Secretary Wants You to Drive to Midwest Landmarks; Here Are Some Car-Free Alternatives
Planning a summer trip? Here are a few Amtrak-accessible destinations.
Ambulance Data Reveals That Boston Drivers Are 4 Times More Likely to Run Over Pedestrians From Black Neighborhoods
"Overall, residents of predominantly Black and Latino neighborhoods are about four times more likely than residents of predominantly white neighborhoods to be struck as a pedestrian."
