The Price for Thursday’s Headlines Is Wrong
The self-styled "king" Donald Trump finally made his move to end congestion pricing, which has been a huge success.
By
Blake Aued
12:05 AM EST on February 20, 2025
- Describing himself as a monarch, President Trump finally went and did it: He revoked federal approval for congestion pricing in the Manhattan business district (New York Times, Associated Press, et al), despite the fact that it’s working (Gothamist). Gersh Kuntzman at Streetsblog NYC notes the irony of Trump claiming victory for the “working class” that will suffer without the transit revenue the toll produces, and the irony of Gov. Kathy Hochul objecting to Trump arbitrarily blocking the policy when Hochul — checks notes — also once arbitrarily blocked the policy.
- The White House is planning to roll back environmental studies for pipeline and highway projects. (Bloomberg)
- The Eno Center for Transportation explains how to come up with more accurate cost estimates for infrastructure projects.
- The Hudson Tunnel project to improve rail service along the East Coast is set to conclude in 2035. (Mass Transit)
- Some Colorado cities, citing fears about “Soviet-style housing blocks,” are refusing to comply with new state laws on housing density and parking. (Colorado Public Radio)
- Baltimore kids can’t get to school on time because of unreliable transit. (Banner)
- The Portland Bureau of Transportation is facing a $38 million funding shortfall that could affect sidewalks and pedestrian safety improvements. (Willamette Week)
- Should bus lanes be open to private corporate shuttles? One Seattle-area city thinks so. (The Urbanist)
- Michigan transit agencies are objecting to a state budget that would give them their lowest funding levels in 70 years. (WCMU)
- San Francisco business owners objected to a central bike lane on Valencia Avenue that made national news, but — shocker — it turns out they hate the side bike lane that will replace it, too. (SFGATE)
- Macon bus ridership jumped 16 percent between 2022 and 2024, mirroring national trends. (WMAZ)
- Eugene residents are banding together to address the Oregon city’s lack of sidewalks. (KLCC)
- St. Petersburg firefighters working on a gas leak uncovered some long-lost streetcar tracks. (WRIC)
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
Friday Video: Sen. Ed Markey Says Democrats ‘Have to Fight Harder’
StreetsblogMASS rode the bus from Malden to Chelsea with Sen. Ed Markey to talk federal transportation policy and this fall's elections.
August 28, 2026
Friday’s Headlines Are Cruisin’ in My ’64
Breaking news: Driving is fun, but expensive and dangerous.
August 28, 2026
Talking Headways Podcast: Measuring the Pulse of Urban Development
This week on the Talking Headways podcast, we’re joined by Karen Seto at Yale University and Zhe Zhu at the University of Connecticut to talk about their new study, The Urban Pulse.
August 27, 2026
Thursday’s Headlines Are Living for the City
Suburban retail models are making cities less walkable, while climate change is doing the same in the suburbs.
August 27, 2026
NYC Mayor Doubles Down On Robert Moses’s Great Mistake And Will Rebuild An Urban Highway
Mayor Mamdani wants to build a temporary bypass road to allow for a 10-year, $4-billion rebuild of the BQE triple-cantilever.
August 27, 2026