Monday’s Headlines Get Greener With Age

Are electric vehicles really cleaner than gas-powered ones? According to one study, the answer is yes – but only once an EV is driven at least 25,000 miles.

By Blake Aued

12:01 AM EST on February 10, 2025

EVs and renewables are not going to be enough to stave off a climate catastrophe, scientists are warning officials at an international conference.

|Daniel Andraski, CC

When taking into account mining, manufacturing, power generation and tailpipe emissions, the average electric vehicle becomes greener than the average gas-powered car around the 25,000-mile mark, or about two years for the average driver. (Jalopnik)
RIP to the godfather of parking reform, UCLA professor Donald Shoup. (Streetsblog CAL, Streetsblog NYC)
Transportation for America unpacks all of the Trump administration's moves regarding transportation and provides advice on what steps you can take.
The idea that we should address climate change through personal consumption choices was popularized by the fossil fuel industry, but that doesn't mean our individual lifestyles don't matter. (The Conversation)
The Federal Highway Administration's order halting $5 billion in grants for EV chargers is creating havoc among state DOTs. (Washington Post)
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy's memo tying U.S. DOT grants to birth and marriage rates (New York Times, Streetsblog) has Charlotte officials worried about getting matching grants for transit projects (Ledger).
One of the last remaining blocks in Denver that was closed to traffic during the COVID pandemic will be reopened to cars because no business applied for an outdoor dining permit, even though 92 percent of survey respondents said they wanted to keep it car-free. (Denverite)
Tri-Rail ridership in Portland fully recovered from the pandemic last year. (Progressive Railroading)
City council members are taking a more active role in Seattle's latest transportation levy. (The Urbanist)
Austin's Project Connect could hinge on the whims of the Trump administration and the federal government's environmental approval process. (Monitor)
Charlotte transit ridership rose 11 percent last year, but is still well short of its peak of 29 million in 2013. (WFAE)
The death of an avid cyclist struck by a hit-and-run driver has galvanized Albuquerque advocates to demand safer streets. (KOB)
Some Sarasota officials are worried about losing 100 parking spots to make way for bike lanes. Leaving Main Street with just 2,400 spaces for cars isn't enough? (Herald-Tribune)
Milwaukee streetcar workers are unionizing. (Urban Milwaukee)
A Toronto pilot program will install cameras on streetcars to catch drivers who pass by open doors. (Mass Transit)
Mountaineers and scientists teamed up for a study that found that microplastics from tires are even reaching remote locations like the peaks of the Alps. (The Guardian)

Blake Aued

Promoted

Stay in touch

More from Streetsblog USA

Texas

Friday Video: The Largest U.S. City With No Transit

Can communities really keep people moving without fixed-route transit? Find out on this visit to Texas.

Streetsblog

November 21, 2025

Today's Headlines

Friday’s Headlines Tread Carefully

The Washington Post too a deep dive into the epidemic of pedestrian deaths, which rose from 4,300 in 2010 to more than 7,000 in 2023.

Blake Aued

November 21, 2025

High-speed rail

Talking Headways Podcast: Emotional Consumption in China

High-speed rail has completely transformed the country. Think about that sentence: "High-speed rail has completely transformed the country." When was the last time something positive like that happened here?

Jeff Wood

November 20, 2025

Federal Funding

Cutting Federal Transit Funding Won’t Close Budget Gaps — But Will Make Transportation Less Affordable

The Trump administration's proposal to eliminate the mass transit account of the Highway Trust Fund would be short-sighted, ineffective, and ruinous, a new analysis finds.