Monday’s Headlines Smooth the Way
Sean Duffy, President Trump's nominee to head the U.S. DOT, breezed through Senate hearings.
By
Blake Aued
12:01 AM EST on January 27, 2025
- A Senate committee voted unanimously to advance Sean Duffy’s nomination as transportation secretary after the former Wisconsin congressman reassured Democrats that he will make traffic safety a priority and expedite projects funded by the Biden administration (Smart Cities Dive). But Streetsblog‘s Kea Wilson still has questions about whether Duffy will follow the law or Trump’s likely unconstitutional executive orders.
- At Davos, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi wondered why people won’t forgive robotaxis’ mistakes the way they do human drivers’. (Business Insider)
- Chaotic school dropoffs are a microcosm of all the U.S. transportation system’s problems, writes Anna Zivarts, author of “When Driving Isn’t an Option: Steering Away From Car Dependency.” (Romper)
- Dallas has less than half the bike lanes of other big Texas cities, and a plan to add another 200 miles is moving through the city council. (WFAA)
- Maintenance problems, missed deadlines for federal grants and a change to state tax law are threatening the future of Milwaukee’s streetcar. (Wisconsin Public Radio)
- Federal officials are re-evaluating the Interstate 11 project in Arizona due to an environmental lawsuit. (12 News)
- Seattle’s Sound Transit approved an emergency measure to expedite light rail repairs after an uptick in outages. (KING 5)
- A study suggests a two-way cycle track and other safety improvements at Michigan’s popular Belle Isle park, where people are driving too fast, and cyclists and pedestrians feel unsafe. (Detroit News)
- Las Vegas is building mini-roundabouts to curb speeding. (3 News)
- A St. Louis woman was killed and her young son seriously injured while she pushed a stroller in a bike lane because the sidewalks were too icy and clogged with snow. (Fox 2)
- A tax on gambling could help fund Pennsylvania transit, but not everyone is betting on the idea. (WESA)
- Stuck in traffic for a movie premiere, Timothee Chalamet hopped on a Lime bike the rest of the way. (Strong Towns)
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:
More from Streetsblog USA
Push Grows To Move Parking Enforcement From NYPD To DOT
Two community boards want the job to go to the agency already in charge of the streets.
April 13, 2026
Can This Tool Predict Where Your City’s Next Car Crash Will Happen?
But will U.S. transportation leaders use it to take preemptive action to make roadways safer?
April 13, 2026
Monday’s Headlines Show the True Cost of Climate Change
Making cars slightly cheaper in the short run in exchange for accelerating climate change is not a good tradeoff.
April 13, 2026
Friday Video: RIP, The D.C. Streetcar
Advocates are mourning the loss of the D.C. streetcar ... but they'e not entirely sad to see it die.
April 10, 2026
You’re Authorized to Read Friday’s Headlines
An important federal transportation funding bill is in the works. Here's what to look out for.
April 10, 2026
Comments Are Temporarily Disabled
Streetsblog is in the process of migrating our commenting system. During this transition, commenting is temporarily unavailable.
Once the migration is complete, you will be able to log back in and will have full access to your comment history. We appreciate your patience and look forward to having you back in the conversation soon.