Friday’s Headlines Are Still Confused
Make America's Transportation Policy Make Sense Again.
By
Blake Aued
12:01 AM EST on January 31, 2025
- This heavily-updated Transportation for America post about the Trump administration’s brief federal grant funding freeze pretty much sums up the chaos of the past week. Streetsblog USA delves further into what the freeze would actually mean for sustainable transportation if it were to happen.
- Sprawl is not just a result of the free market doing its thing or deliberate choices by governments, but also the influence of unchecked corporate power on both. (Current Affairs)
- Transit expansion does lead to gentrification, but there are ways to prevent people from being displaced, so it shouldn’t be an excuse to not build transit. (Shelter Force)
- Parking reform is low-hanging fruit for YIMBYs. (Cornerstone)
- Waymo is testing autonomous vehicles in 10 new cities this year, starting with Las Vegas and San Diego, followed by Austin, Atlanta and Miami. (The Verge)
- Capital Bikeshare broke D.C.’s record with 6.1 million rides last year (Greater Greater Washington), and Chicago’s Divvy did the same with 11 million bike and scooter rides (Smart Cities Dive)
- Indiana legislators are considering cutting off transportation funds to local communities, which they could then replace with delivery fees, among other options. (Governing)
- Late-night workers in Providence like bartenders generate over $600 million for the local economy but can’t catch a bus home when their shift ends. (Rhode Island Current)
- Valley Metro’s light rail extension into south central Phoenix is 95 percent complete. (Fox 10)
- A lawsuit filed by an 8-year-old who uses a wheelchair forced the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority to install lifts on buses. (WWL)
- Atlanta cut the ribbon on new mural-decorated protected bike lanes in Midtown. (WSB-TV)
- Austin is using virtual reality to give residents a preview of a planned light rail line. (KXAN)
- Velo has six tips for securing and storing your bike with limited space.
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
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
Trump Wants to Slash Federal Funding for Public Transit, Rail (Again)
The president’s proposed budget threatens transit projects across the country.
April 9, 2026
Thursday’s Headlines Are the Taxman
Suspending gas taxes might be politically popular, but it doesn't save drivers money and takes away funding for infrastructure.
April 9, 2026
Michigan Bill Would Require Seniors to Regularly Re-Take Their Drivers’ Tests
...but would it really make roads safer?
April 8, 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.