Wednesday’s Headlines Are Running Out of Time
Our chance to avoid catastrophic climate change continues to slip away without urgent action.
By
Blake Aued
12:29 AM EST on January 15, 2025
- 2024 was the hottest year on record, and also the year when the planet crossed the 1.5 degree Celsius temperature spike that the United Nations agreed 10 years ago would be extremely bad to pass. (Slate)
- Law professor and Streetsblog contributor Greg Shill argues that road design alone isn’t enough to prevent reckless driving without also enforcing traffic laws. (The Atlantic; paywall)
- After a week, congestion pricing in Lower Manhattan has already resulted in less traffic and faster bus rides (New York Times). It’s also bringing cleaner air (Clean Technica).
- Congestion pricing in Washington, D.C. would make transportation more equitable for low-income individuals. (Greater Greater Washington)
- Robotaxis make traffic worse by running empty and displacing biking, walking and transit trips, primarily for the benefit of the rich, according to San Francisco’s recently departed transportation director. And cities have very little control over them. (CityLab)
- Philadelphia doesn’t have enough density around many of its regional rail stations to support commuter rail, according to a Niskanen Center study.
- A Washington state bill would create voting seats for transit riders on local transit boards. (The Urbanist)
- Uber is suing Colorado over a state law requiring the company to disclose pay information to drivers. (Reuters)
- Metro Charlotte officials have a lot of work ahead of them if they want to put a sales tax for transit on the November ballot — mainly, convincing road-loving state legislators to let them. (Axios)
- Barcelona’s plan to go carbon-neutral by 2030 is working, as pollution levels continue to drop. (Smart Cities World)
- Yonah Freemark is out with his annual database of global transit projects, and China is eating everyone’s lunch. (The Transport Politic)
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
Tuesday’s Headlines Curb Their Enthusiasm
Curbs: They're not just for parking anymore.
April 21, 2026
‘Best Bikeshare in America’: An Unexpected Community Launches Free, All-Electric Micromobility For Residents
Omaha and neighboring Council Bluffs, Iowa share an expansive e-bikeshare network that punches above its weight, supporters say — and now, it's free to all residents, too.
April 21, 2026
‘A Solution, But To What Problem?’ Experts Say AVs Are The Elephant In The Room, But There’s Still Time To Figure Out Their Role
Want to know more about autonomous vehicles? Read this vital excerpt from last week's "The Future of Transportation" seminar.
April 20, 2026
When Traffic Violence Hits The Same Family Twice — Years Apart, On Exactly the Same Street
The deaths of a Colorado married couple has some mourning an eerie coincidence — and others outraged at two predictable tragedies that could have been prevented.
April 20, 2026
Monday’s Headlines Should Wean Themselves Off Fossil Fuels
Even people who don't drive wind up paying when oil prices spike.
April 20, 2026
