The Smoke of Friday’s Headlines Gets in Your Eyes
Like cigarettes, big trucks and SUVs kill innocent people. So why not regulate them like cigarettes?
By
Blake Aued
12:01 AM EST on January 10, 2025
- Smoking was severely restricted starting in the 1990s once it became clear that the habit could kill not only the smoker, but anyone inhaling secondhand smoke. David Zipper writes that we should be treating giant trucks and SUVs the same way, because they’re deadly to everyone around them. (Vox)
- How is the U.S. going to deal with coastal communities displaced by climate change? (New York Times)
- Signal priority saves thousands of hours of time for buses and emergency vehicles. (Government Technology)
- States like Minnesota and Colorado are pointing the way forward for curbing road-building, even if drivers don’t always buy into the concept of induced demand. (CityLab)
- California’s ambitious new rail plan would take 200 million cars off the highway, but cost $310 billion to build. (Streetsblog CAL)
- A judge will decide by Feb. 1 whether Nashville’s voter-approved $3.1 billion transit plan and accompanying sales tax hike can take effect. (Tennessean)
- Denver rezoned more than 1,000 acres along commercial corridors for more pedestrian-friendly development, such as banning drive-throughs. (Denverite)
- Traffic deaths in Charlotte have jumped from 60 in 2022 to 70 in 2023 to 85 last year. (Queen City Nerve)
- The Metro Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority is planning bus rapid transit along I-285, Atlanta’s ring road. (Appen Media)
- Chicago set a record last year with 11 million trips on shared bikes and e-scooters. (CBS News)
- West Hartford is installing cameras to catch speeding drivers and red-light runners. (CT Insider)
- This bicycle hearse in Paris gives the phrase “ride or die” a whole new meaning. (Momentum)
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
Interview: ‘Arrested Mobility’ Star Charles T. Brown On Why The New ‘Bikelash’ Is A Misdirection Ploy
The nation is in the midst of another war on bikes. But this one is different, so we reached out to an urban planner for a nice chat.
June 29, 2026
Monday’s Headlines Don’t Sideline Sidewalks
Sidewalks are not just for walking; they're places where we meet neighbors and even conduct business.
June 29, 2026
Friday’s Headlines Change Their Rhetoric
Transit agencies aren't helping their own case for additional funding by continuing to emphasize COVID.
June 26, 2026
Annual ‘Best Bike City’ Rankings Yields Small Town Surprises
PeopleForBikes finds which cities are leading the charge in bikeability.
June 26, 2026
Friday Video: Dutch Cycling and the Blueprint for a Better World
Why I'm a Nederlandophile (and you should be too) in one video.
June 26, 2026