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

induced demand

Confirmed: Non-Driving Infrastructure Creates ‘Induced Demand,’ Too

Widening a highway to cure congestion is like losing weight by buying bigger pants — but thanks to the same principle of "induced demand," adding bike paths and train lines to cure climate actually works.

Kea Wilson

January 9, 2026

Today's Headlines

Friday’s Headlines Are Unsustainably Expensive

To paraphrase former New York City mayoral candidate Jimmy McMillan, the car payment is too damn high.

January 9, 2026

Talking Headways

Talking Headways Podcast: Poster Sessions at Mpact in Portland

Young professionals discuss the work they’ve been doing including designing new transportation hubs, rethinking parking and improving buses.

Jeff Wood

January 8, 2026

Streetsblog

Exploding Costs Could Doom One of America’s Greatest Highway Boondoggles

The Interstate Bridge Replacement Project and highway expansion between Oregon and Washington was already a boondoggle. Then the costs ballooned to $17.7 billion.