Friday’s Headlines Quit the Space Race
Money for Acela, the D.C. Metro and other transit systems could have been spent on a moon base instead. Get a history lesson in today's headlines.
By
Blake Aued
12:14 AM EST on January 24, 2025
- Prompted by news that Trump whisperer Elon Musk is not a fan of NASA’s Artemis program, Jalopnik shares the story of how LBJ canceled plans for a moon base in order to fund the Great Society, including starting the U.S. DOT and building urban transit systems.
- GM reached an agreement with the Federal Trade Commission not to share data on driver locations or behavior collected by its cars for five years. (Reuters)
- Once derided for its downtown-killing big box stores, Walmart has build a new corporate headquarters in Arkansas that’s a walkable, bikeable extension of downtown Bentonville. (Fast Company)
- The Charlotte Area Transit System offered four options for expansion, assuming state legislators allow a $19 billion tax referendum to move forward. (Observer)
- RFK Stadium needs a second D.C. Metro station. (Greater Greater Washington)
- Charging and parking for robotaxis is taking up space in San Francisco that could be used for housing. (Chronicle)
- For the second time, Atlanta transit agency MARTA is asking the Georgia legislature for permission to use bus-mounted cameras to catch drivers blocking bike lanes. (Axios)
- Tampa is extending the Green Spine cycle track by three miles. (Fox 13)
- Boulder officials are floating plans to extend bike lanes and other safety improvements on 30th Street. (Weekly)
- The UK’s 20-mile-per-hour speed limit is saving drivers money on their car insurance. (The Guardian)
- Ontario’s war on bike lanes is really about Toronto’s urban versus suburban politics. (Next City)
- Canadian cities are organizing bike buses as a safe and healthy way to get kids to school. (Cycling Magazine)
- Barcelona’s “superblocks” where traffic is restricted has made residents happier and healthier. (Reasons to Be Cheerful)
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
‘Big Brother’ At U.S. DOT: Bike Lanes Aren’t Just ‘DEI,’ They’re Also Unsafe
Taking a page from George Orwell, the government is now saying that bike lanes are unsafe and speed cameras are not proven to reduce crashes. In other words, freedom is slavery.
July 17, 2026
Friday’s Headlines Slow Down
Driving over the speed limit doesn't even save much time, according to a new study.
July 17, 2026
Talking Headways Podcast: What San Francisco’s Muni Learned from COVID
SFMTA’s Julie Kirschbaum discusses the lessons her agency learned from COVID and Muni’s post-pandemic recovery.
July 16, 2026
Fifth Time’s The Harm: Pennsylvania Gov. Shapiro Again Signed A Budget With No Money For Transit
New budget refuses a single cent for transit, cuts service for most vulnerable residents.
July 16, 2026
Thursday’s Headlines Are Deadly By Design
Turns out, designing roads for fast-moving cars means people will die.
July 16, 2026