- California's ban on the sale of new gas-powered cars, set to take effect in 2035, is actually nothing new. In the 1960s, as emissions blanketed cities in smog, state legislators tried to limit or ban gas-powered cars and almost succeeded. (Grist)
- More than half of Uber and Lyft trips are taken by people who would have otherwise used more sustainable modes of transportation — walking, biking, carpooling or transit — or would not have traveled at all, according to a University of California-Davis study. (Green Car Congress)
- The system of self-driving Teslas in tunnels underneath Las Vegas drilled by another Elon Musk company is still not working properly. (Electrek)
- Authorities say they have a suspect in custody who is suspected of shooting and killed four sleeping passengers on a Chicago train early Monday morning. The victims may have been homeless, leading to calls for more security and assistance with resources on transit. (CNN)
- A recent audit detailed waste, dysfunction and construction delays within the Metro Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority, and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's transportation columnist says MARTA is too important not to get its act together.
- The Houston Metro quietly dialed back on plans on for a new bike lane (Chron) and shifted resources away from a bus rapid transit line to HOV lanes (Landing), prompting more concerns about Mayor John Whitmire's agenda.
- A group called the Moral Budget Coalition is asking Mayor Paul Young to spend $20 million on the Memphis Area Transit Authority to avoid devastating layoffs and service cuts affecting tens of thousands of riders. (WREG)
- A driver killed a Sacramento teen who was walking on a stretch of road that the city never redesigned for safety after another teenage pedestrian was killed there 17 years ago. (Bee)
- Under fire from bike advocates, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker made a speech reiterating her support for Vision Zero. (CBS News)
- Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley signed a policy committing to Vision Zero by 2037 (Urban Milwaukee). Meanwhile, Milwaukee city officials say their traffic calming efforts are working to slow down drivers (Wisconsin Public Radio).
- Riders packed Seattle's new Lynnwood light rail line when it officially opened on Friday. (The Urbanist)
- Portland transit agency TriMax opened a new $215 million Red Line BRT extension. (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
- Hamburg has the laudable goal of ensuring that 80 percent of trips are made on transit, foot or bike by 2030, but the dubious tactic of fulfilling that goal using unproven self-driving shuttles. (City Lab)
Today's Headlines
Tuesday’s Headlines Are History Repeating Itself
Grist reports a largely unknown story about how states, congressmen and labor unions tried to restrict or ban polluting vehicles in the 1960s, and almost succeeded.
By Blake Aued
Make America Smoggy Again.
Read More:
Stay in touch
Sign up for our free newsletter
More from Streetsblog USA
Talking Headways Podcast: When You Don’t Really Need an Ambulance
Let's talk about the realities of non-emergency medical transportation, long a quiet backwater of urban transport planning.
May 22, 2025
Thursday’s Headlines Are Open 24 Hours
Between an egg surcharge and now EV chargers, late-night diner chain Waffle House looks ready to thrown down with the Trump administration.
May 22, 2025
How A Single Transportation Emergency Can Keep Parents From Achieving Their College Dreams
Abigail Seldin of Scholarship America about the 3.8 million U.S. students who are earning degrees while raising families.
May 22, 2025
Republican Senators Press Attack on CA’s Clean Air Laws
Anyone hoping that Congressional Republican leaders would follow generations of precedent regarding the role of the non-partisan Senate Parliamentarian or the Government Accountability Office (GAO) had a very bad day yesterday.
Wednesday’s Headlines Have a System
The safe systems approach to street design, popular in Europe, could cut U.S. traffic deaths in half.
May 21, 2025
Does Transportation Advocacy Have a Place In the Wake of a Deadly Tornado?
Much of St. Louis is struggling in the wake of a deadly tornado. Amid such disasters, urbanism needs a pause and a rethink.
May 21, 2025
