Wednesday’s Headlines Are Bussin’
Intercity bus travel is back, baby! States like Virginia and Maine are adding service, and so are private operators.
By
Blake Aued
12:04 AM EST on February 19, 2025
- Intercity bus ridership is projected to grow by four percent this year, more than airline or car travel. Both private companies and state-provided bus services like Colorado’s Bustang are thriving after the industry nearly collapsed during the pandemic. (Smart Cities Dive)
- The Trump administration suspended the rollout of $5 billion in grants for electric vehicle chargers. (Politico)
- Dust from brake pads may be even more harmful than pollution from diesel tailpipes, according to a new study. (Yale 360)
- Electric vehicles may not produce tailpipe emissions, but they produce more brake and tire dust than gasoline vehicles. They produce less pollution overall, according to Virginia Tech research, but only when driven in congested city conditions.
- Truck pollution disproportionately affects the marginalized communities that live near major highways, but it’s unclear whether electrification will improve the situation, because power plants are also located near marginalized communities. (News Medical)
- Georgia legislators are considering outlawing automated speed cameras in school zones, arguing that they’re more about revenue generation than safety. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
- After a years-long debate, Colorado Springs is allowing e-bikes in parks and other areas where motorized vehicles are prohibited. (Government Technology)
- The mayor of Syracuse is hosting a series of town hall meetings on Vision Zero. (Urban CNY)
- Gary’s public bikeshare is restarting in March with two new hubs. (Mass Transit)
- Climate change is making chocolate more expensive. (BBC)
- Dubai wants Elon Musk to build an underground Tesla loop in the Middle East, because I guess they saw how useless the one in Las Vegas is and decided they wanted a 68-mile version. (Jalopnik)
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
Trump Wants to Slash Federal Funding for Public Transit
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
Wednesday’s Headlines Have Good News and Bad News
Traffic deaths are back down to their pre-pandemic levels, but there is still much work left to be done.
April 8, 2026
How To Push A Livable Streets Project Forward — Even in the Era of Federal Clawbacks
A livable streets superstar is launching a new organization to push forward some of America's most iconic sustainable streets projects — even if Congress is clawing back their funding
April 7, 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.