Wednesday’s Headlines Are a Good Deal
Planetizen makes the case that transit subsidies are well worth the expense because they benefit everyone — even drivers.
By
Blake Aued
12:01 AM EDT on April 9, 2025
- Transit is safer and cheaper than driving, it gives people access to jobs, and it reduces congestion. On top of those benefits, taxpayer subsidies for transit are paltry compared to the cost of roads and parking. (Planetizen)
- Car bloat has reached the U.K., where 1 million vehicles sold each year are too big to fit in a typical parking space. (The Guardian)
- Walk scores are more about the amenities available in affluent white neighborhoods than how safe it is to walk or how many people actually do walk. (Streetsblog USA)
- New York’s battle with the Trump administration over congestion pricing will continue until at least this fall, according to court motions. (E&E News)
- Car crashes are the No. 1 cause of death for Houston children. Slowing down traffic not only saves lives, but benefits small businesses as well. (Baker Institute)
- Colorado’s state-funded bus service, Bustang, filled the gaps left by Greyhound cuts, and now carries 24,000 riders a month between cities and small rural communities alike. (Governing)
- NIMBYs have been blocking a housing development on a D.C. Metro station parking lot for 25 years. (Washington Post)
- There is still no deal for state transit funding in Pennsylvania despite Pittsburgh Regional Transit’s proposed 35% cuts. (Post-Gazette)
- Republicans in the Texas legislature are considering proposals to cut Dallas Area Rapid Transit’s funding and block Project Connect, the voter-approved transit expansion in Austin. (Texas Tribune)
- Construction on Atlanta’s first new transit line in 25 years, the bus rapid transit A-Line, has been delayed and will not be finished this year (Urbanize Atlanta). But renovations at the main heavy rail station in Five Points are back on track (Axios).
- Similar to a recently passed Virginia bill, a bill the Georgia legislature approved would allow judges to order the installation of speed-limiting devices on the vehicles of drivers convicted of street racing. (Families for Safe Streets)
- An audit of the Twin Cities’ Southwest Corridor rail project found a number of problems with Met Council oversight. (Minnesota Public Radio)
- Baltimore settled a lawsuit over Americans With Disabilities Act violations, agreeing to spend $44 million replacing noncompliant ramps and sidewalks. (CBS News)
- Milwaukee is planning a road diet on South First Street. (Journal-Sentinel)
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
Why Cities Need More ‘Agile’ Streets
When projects are routed through a full capital-improvement workflow, solutions tend toward expensive, permanent interventions — not alternatives that might achieve 80 percent of the benefit at 10 percent of the cost.
March 26, 2026
Wednesday’s Headlines Feel Pain at the Pump
High gas prices are likely to persist, and people will be driving less in response.
March 25, 2026
D.C. Advocates Sue To Save Key Bike Lane From Trump Teardown
We previously reported that the Trump administration might soon move to dismantle key cycle tracks in the nation's capital. Unfortunately, we were right.
March 24, 2026
How a ‘Universal Basic Neighborhood’ Can Help Americans Live Longer
Want to increase your chances of living to 80? A new paper argues we need to start with our neighborhoods — and we need to do it for everybody.
March 24, 2026
Tuesday’s Headlines Keep Our Eyes on the Road
How much responsibility do tech companies bear for traffic deaths caused by distracted driving?
March 24, 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.