Friday’s Headlines Dodge Death

Thankfully, traffic deaths have started to fall. But cars and drivers are still killing too many people. Why?

By Blake Aued

12:04 AM EDT on April 25, 2025

Photo: Tripp Chicago

Traffic deaths dropped below 40,000 last year for the first time since 2020, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (Smart Cities Dive). That's still a lot, but is the problem poor road design, bigger vehicles, lack of enforcement, drivers who are still angry about the pandemic, or some combination? (Governing)
For-profit shared mobility tends to favor the wealthy and the able-bodied. Nonprofits can help fill that gap. (Smithsonian Magazine)
Lime is rolling out 10,000 new e-bikes and e-scooters to its networks in Europe and the U.S. (Electrek)
Lyft — a company founded to disrupt the taxi industry — is now offering taxi rides. (The Information)
David Zipper profiles a car YouTuber who's advocating for more walkable cities. (Bloomberg)
The Inglewood people-mover connecting the Los Angeles Metro to several entertainment destinations is now on hold (Railway Gazette) but may be reworked as bus rapid transit (KTLA).
Car crashes in San Francisco cost not only lives, but money, according to a new city report — $2.5 billion over a five-year period between 2018 and 2022. (Mission Local)
Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert is trying to scrap her home state's Front Range passenger rail project. (RT&S)
Colorado is the latest state Uber is threatening to leave if the state enacts regulations. (Sun)
Philadelphia is embracing roundabouts as a quick-build solution to dangerous intersections (WHYY). And its Indego bikeshare system turned 10 years old (Axios).
Seattle is finally closing off the Pike Place Market to most traffic, at least to see how it works. (The Urbanist)
A new MARTA app helps Atlanta transit riders plan the most efficient trip. (AJC)
Laredo adopted a $33 million plan to eliminate traffic deaths by 2040. (Morning Times)
Almost all the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel readers who responded to a survey said that sidewalks are highly important.
"The Drag," a major road in Austin separating the city from the University of Texas, is about to come full circle as a light-rail route. (Daily Texan)
Gas stations in general suck, but you have to admit some of the early and mid-modern ones are pretty cool-looking. (Arch Daily)