- Even in 2024, some officials are still talking about Black communities as "blighted" areas that should be replaced with freeways, and they still haven't grasped the concept of induced demand. David Zipper writes in Slate about how the environmentalists and fiscal conservatives that halted America's dam construction binge can also be applied to interstates.
- In a USA Today interview, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg touted the Biden administration's $1 billion investment in rail accessibility.
- A bipartisan group of more than 350 mayors signed a pact to electrify their city fleets. (Governing)
- Bird scooters are now available for rent via the Lyft app in 25 U.S. cities. (Smart Cities Dive)
- A coalition of transit riders and advocates are speaking out against DART budget cuts in Dallas. (KERA)
- Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan is targeting 8,000 abandoned vehicles as part of a war on blight. (Next City)
- Milwaukee drivers think the city's new bike lanes are for parking their cars. (Journal-Sentinel)
- Seattle's Lynnwood light rail line officially opens today. (KIRO)
- Austin's Project Connect will start final design work on a light rail line next year. (KXAN)
- Greater Greater Washington uses data to push back against bike-lane haters who claim to never see cyclists.
- New York City-based monthly e-bike rental service Whizz is now available in Philadelphia. (Philly Mag)
- Saudi Arabia's $25 billion plan to build a metro system in Riyadh is apparently the largest single-phase transit project the world has ever seen. (Newsweek)
- India's passenger rail network is now 96 percent electrified, compared to one percent for the U.S. (Fast Company)
- Hamburg has a dubious plan to alleviate traffic with autonomous shuttles hailed through an app. (City Lab)
- The U.S. isn't the only country where poorly planned streetcars get stuck in traffic. One study says Toronto's are the slowest in the world. (Daily Hive)
Today's Headlines
Damn the Torpedoes, Friday’s Headlines Are Ahead
David Zipper has a long read in Slate about the history of freeway construction and how it compares to dams.
By Blake Aued
Allendale, a lower-income, largely black neighborhood in Shreveport, had plans to build a new park and housing. But regional planners, with support from the mayor, want to bulldoze a new highway right through through the neighborhood.
Read More:
Stay in touch
Sign up for our free newsletter
More from Streetsblog USA
What if the ‘Tesla Takedown’ Is Only the Beginning?
Tesla's cars have become symbols of Elon Musk's controversial role in U.S. politics — but they're also instruments of a violent system that long predates his time in the White House.
March 13, 2025
Thursday’s Headlines Are Hard-Driving
To paraphrase Billy Idol: Get out of my car, get into my dreams. Wired shows us examples of cities cutting down on driving that most of us can only fantasize about.
March 13, 2025
How Climate Change Is Hurting Transit Ridership
Transit isn't only a key solution to confronting climate change; it's also one of its victims.
March 12, 2025
Wednesday’s Headlines Are About Elon-ed Out
While President Trump tries to pump up Tesla stock prices, Elon Musk wants to privatize Amtrak.
March 12, 2025
U.S. DOT Orders Review of All Grants Related to Green Infrastructure, Bikes
U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is coming for our bike lanes — and the time to act is now.
March 12, 2025
