Friday’s Headlines Are on the Ballot
There's a decent chance you live in a jurisdiction where transit funding is on the ballot this November.
By
Blake Aued
1:05 AM EDT on October 11, 2024
- State and local ballot measures this November could add a total of $50 billion to transit funding, and such referendums have a high rate of success (Smart Cities Dive). That’s important because most federal funding remains tilted toward driving (Transportation for America).
- Humans have to take driver’s tests. Why not autonomous vehicles, too? (Associated Press)
- On the other hand, why do so many human jobs require a driver’s license when driving is not part of the job description? (Governing)
- Uber and Lyft drivers are banding together nationwide for better pay. (USA Today)
- The Atlanta suburb of Cobb County has long resisted transit, but as it approaches 1 million people, maybe a $10 billion referendum to fund 108 miles of bus rapid transit will be different. (Atlanta Civic Circle)
- Thirty-five years after a driver killed a Black child riding his bike to school near Durham, the community is still waiting for sidewalks. (Route Fifty)
- After weeks of debate, the Dallas city council voted to fully fund the regional transit agency DART. (KERA)
- Caltrans is seeking input on whether to remove a freeway stub that ostracized a Black Oakland neighborhood from the rest of the East Bay. (SFGATE)
- Philadelphia is planning to add concrete-protected bike lanes to Center City, where the death of a doctor sparked calls for safety improvements. (CBS News)
- A Nebraska state senator who’s planning on running for mayor of Omaha is raising objections to the Omaha streetcar. (Nebraska Examiner)
- Anchorage is trying to come to grips with its high number of pedestrian deaths. (Alaska Public Media)
- In San Francisco, vintage Muni streetcars double as speakeasys (SFGATE), and jazz performers also appear on the Kansas City streetcar in October (Fox 4).
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
Anyone Can Access Friday’s Headlines
Just putting a bike in someone's hands is the best way to get them to ride one.
September 11, 2026
I Care About E-Bike Safety 0.02 Percent of The Time
Click-bait media outlets would have you think we should drop everything and do something about the scary threat of battery-powered bicycles and battery-powered motorcycles. But are either the biggest threat that road users face?
September 11, 2026
Talking Headways Podcast: Carspreading
Decisions about our public space are not being made at City Hall, but in car showrooms around the world.
September 10, 2026
Waymo’s Nevada Rollout Violates Accessibility Law, Disability Activist Claims
The company says it plans to comply, but true equality is years away.
September 10, 2026
