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:
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
Waymo Means Way Mo’ Cars, According To Uber Docs
Caution ahead: Uber admits that self-driving taxis grow their taxi business, too.
April 17, 2026
Friday Video(s): Kidical Mass, Night-Biking in Tokyo, and More
There were great urbanism-adjacent YouTube videos for every taste this week; here are six of our favorites.
April 17, 2026
Look What You Made Friday’s Headlines Do
There are lots of reasons why drivers kill so many pedestrians in the U.S., and Taylor Swift may be one of them.
April 17, 2026
Talking Headways Podcast: Second-Hand E-Bikes Can Be The Way Forward
Upway is helping people, even AOC, get an e-bike.
April 16, 2026
Florida Town Gives New Residents Free Golf Carts to Replace Their Cars
...and recording their highest sales numbers ever.
April 16, 2026