Monday’s Headlines Are Behind the Eight Ball
A recently awarded round of federal street safety grants have won some praise — but it's still just a drop in the bucket as pedestrian deaths remain high.
By
Blake Aued
12:50 AM EDT on September 9, 2024
- The Biden administration awarded more than $1 billion in grants for 354 traffic safety projects around the country, such as fixing an intersection near a park in Memphis’ historically Black Orange Mound neighborhood. (Route Fifty)
- Events like Burning Man show that adding more electric vehicle chargers does nothing to prevent congestion, blunting the environmental impact of EVs. (Bloomberg)
- Recent auto sales show that, at least for now, consumers prefer plug-in hybrids to EVs. (Automotive News)
- Don’t believe Donald Trump when he promised $2 gas. (News Nation)
- Shailen Bhatt is resigning this week as head of the Federal Highway Administration. (Detroit News)
- A growing number of states are realizing that rolling stops are safe for cyclists — as long as both cyclists and drivers are educated on why. (Momentum)
- An L.A. Metro light rail line in the San Fernando Valley received an $893 million federal grant. (ABC 7)
- Traffic cameras on Philadelphia’s notoriously dangerous Roosevelt Boulevard have been a rousing success, with a 50 percent reduction in deaths and 90 percent less speeding. (Smart Cities Dive)
- Facing a $240 million deficit, Philly transit agency SEPTA is proposing raising rates. (NBC 10)
- Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava proposed suspending payments into a fund for future transit projects (Herald) but later reversed course after pushback from other elected officials (CBS News).
- A Washington, D.C. bike ride last weekend drew 10,000 people. (WTOP)
- Acclaimed director Daren Aronofsky is making a biopic about Elon Musk for indie studio A24. (Jalopnik)
- Any Gen Xers out there remember these Fisher Price transportation toys? (The Autopian)
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
Wednesday’s Headlines Are Truckin’
Maybe we shouldn't rely so much on diesel to fuel buses or move so much freight by truck.
June 17, 2026
Opinion: AVs Can Do More Than Just Serve People Who Can Afford A Cab
What has emerged is an industry trend that prioritizes hype instead of mobility equity.
June 17, 2026
Tuesday’s Headlines Say C’est la Vie to Equity
Racist transportation planning is perfectly OK with the Trump administration.
June 16, 2026
Safety Last: Under Trump, U.S. Roads Continue To Be ‘Dangerous By Design’
This is nothing to be proud of: Of the 20 most-deadly states in a 2022 report, 19 showed no signs of improvement or became even more dangerous.
June 16, 2026
New York Cyclists Struggle As Illegal Vehicles Flood City Streets
"Better street design" is not "some kind of mystery," says best friend of cyclist Dmytro Stechenko, who was killed in head-on collision with an illegal stand up scooter rider in the May 28 Queensboro Bridge crash.
June 16, 2026
