Thursday’s Headlines Flip the Script
Want to make the argument for congestion pricing to conservatives? Here are your talking points.
By
Blake Aued
12:13 AM EDT on March 27, 2025
- Conservatives should be applauding congestion pricing, but they’re not. In response, progressives should make the argument about the free market and property rights (City Lab). In fact, Better Cities thinks congestion pricing’s utter success is the reason why the Trump administration continues to oppose it. Meanwhile, the New York Times believes congestion pricing is still under threat because Gov. Kathy Hochul, having finally realized it’s popular, is now using her strong position to demand more federal transit funding (CBS News).
- Strip malls are dying, and the answer is to replace all that unused parking with more mixed-use space. (CNU Public Square)
- Automated parking is going to give architects more flexibility in designing buildings. (Arch Daily)
- Languishing Rust Belt cities are often said to have “great bones.” But what does that mean? (The Corner Side Yard)
- The Urbanist believes that Seattle’s Sound Transit has appointed King County Executive Dow Constantine as its new CEO, despite concerns about conflicts of interest and his lack of experience in the transit industry.
- Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, lauded by Streetsblog for her aggressive approach to building bus and bike lanes, talked to WBUR about becoming more conservative as she runs for re-election.
- A billion-dollar investment in sidewalks passed out of a Portland city council committee. (BikePortland)
- Safety advocates in Durham are frustrated at the slow pace of the North Carolina city’s Vision Zero rollout. (INDY Week)
- New radar technology called LIDAR is helping Nashville traffic engineers track near-misses, speeding and crashes. (News Channel 5)
- Park illegally in Pittsburgh and an AI camera might bust you. (CBS News)
- The Pittsburgh City Paper declares new freeway projects like the Southern Beltway taxpayer boondoggles.
- Houston cyclists are protesting the removal of a bike lane on deadly Heights Boulevard. (Chronicle)
- Philadelphia cyclists are split on plans for a protected two-way bike lane on a proposed new Market Street bridge. (Billy Penn)
- Even in a U.S. city with a relatively good transit system like Philadelphia, going car-free is a challenge, especially with kids. (Citizen)
- What should a mountain biker do when their buddies start using e-bikes and they can’t keep up? (Outside)
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
The Forgotten History of ‘Bloody 66’ And How Public Memory Helps Perpetuate Traffic Violence
Centennial events downplay the violent history of one of America's most "iconic" highways, and obscure how that violence persists to this day.
May 25, 2026
Friday’s Headlines Are in Decline
The U.S. is becoming a dying petrostate, while China leads the world in renewable energy.
May 22, 2026
Spirit’s Shutdown Exposes America’s Fragile Affordable Travel System
"Affordable travel is not a fallback. It is what makes broad mobility possible."
May 22, 2026
Talking Headways Podcast: Greensboro’s Downtown Greenway
Dabney Sanders explains how Greensboro’s Downtown Greenway came together.
May 21, 2026
Can Neighborhood Block Parties Unite A Broken America?
The best way to celebrate the nation's birthday might not be a road trip to a national treasure; it might be just a few steps outside your front door.
May 21, 2026