Monday’s Headlines Get Pumped
Contrary to what President Trump says, gas remains expensive — another reason to walk, bike or take transit.
By
Blake Aued
12:19 AM EDT on April 21, 2025
- President Trump continues to gaslight Americans on gas prices, claiming that they’re down to less than $2 a gallon. In reality, the cheapest gas anywhere in the country is $2.19, and the national average is $3.17. (CNN)
- Trump’s tariffs on imported vehicles and auto parts could further slow the adoption of electric vehicles by making them even less affordable. (Government Technology)
- The Natural Resources Defense Council rated each state on its transportation policies and found that most need to do more to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Vermont led the way, with Texas coming in last. (Streetsblog also summed it up.)
- New Jersey authorities arrested a Florida man who had previously brought a “small arsenal” of guns onto an Amtrak train and charged him with leaving a suitcase full of weapons and ammunition, including a booby-trapped rifle, at a subway station. (Jalopnik)
- Lawsuits in Nashville, Phoenix and Austin are seeking to overturn voter-approved transit expansions. (States Newsroom)
- Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro continues to push state lawmakers for $292 million in transit funding. (CBS News)
- Portland’s TriMet says it will have to eliminate two-thirds of bus routes by 2031 unless the state raises a payroll tax to fund transit. Meanwhile, more than 100 transit advocates gathered at the Oregon state capitol to rally for additional funding (KATU).
- Pittsburgh is improving 14 light rail stations to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. (Post-Gazette)
- Sacramento is the first city in the nation to use bus-mounted cameras to catch drivers blocking bike lanes. (Fox 40)
- In the Omaha mayor’s race, challenger John Ewing supports using automated cameras to enforce traffic laws, while incumbent Jean Stothert does not. (Nebraska Examiner)
- A Georgia state legislator who hit a cyclist with his car pleaded guilty to minor traffic violations. (11Alive)
- Big Easy Magazine delves into the history of New Orleans streetcars, including the first major boycott by Black riders in 1867. Four years earlier, a Black woman in San Francisco refused to leave a whites-only streetcar (Mississippi Today).
- Neighborhood streets were shut down in Portland for a whimsical bike relay race. (KGW)
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
Urban Truth Collective: The One-Hour City Conspiracy
Here's the real conspiracy: Too many people are forced into car-dependent lives, with more health harms, more crashes, more noise, more air pollution, more social isolation — and less space for everything good our streets should be giving us.
April 27, 2026
Monday’s Headlines Introduce the New Green New Deal
To quote the great philosopher Kermit the Frog, "It's not easy being green."
April 27, 2026
How Intercity Bus Lines Are Rebranding To Attract New Riders
Getting people riding the bus isn't just about service; it's also about style.
April 27, 2026
Train Tubers: a Talk with the YouTube’s Transit Warriors
The masters of transit YouTube discuss their efforts to get people interested in urbanism
April 24, 2026
New E-Mobility Study Actually Reveals Need For Safer Streets, Not E-Bike Crackdowns
A new look into emergency room data at one Manhattan hospital shows a need for more infrastructure, despite what you might have read elsewhere.
April 24, 2026