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

President Lyndon Johnson announces his Great Society anti-poverty agenda at the University of Michigan’s 1964 commencement ceremony.

|University of Michigan

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)