Wednesday’s Headlines Say Smaller is Better

Driving is not ideal, but if you need a car or truck, it would be nice to have a reasonably sized and affordable option.

By Blake Aued

12:02 AM EDT on April 30, 2025

Slate Auto

The Jeff Bezos-funded startup Slate Auto says it will offer an antidote to bloated, expensive electric SUVs and pickup trucks that increasingly endanger cyclists and pedestrians, and threaten to bankrupt their owners — a small, relatively light, highly customizable EV that sells for a base price of less than $20,000. (TechCrunch)
Cities can do more to include people with disabilities. (Greater Good)
Going beyond parking minimums, Seattle transit agencies could actively be turning park-and-ride lots into more housing. (PubliCola)
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell is introducing legislation to cut permit review times for light rail projects. (Westside Seattle)
Pittsburgh Regional Transit is rallying riders to tell the Pennsylvania legislature to provide funding to avoid service cuts. (Union Progress)
Denver's Regional Transportation District has seen a steep decline in police calls at Union Station. (Metro Magazine)
An Oregon bill would provide minimum pay and benefits for Uber and Lyft drivers, and protect them from unfair account deactivations. (Capital Chronicle)
Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin wants the state of Alabama to let him use gas tax revenue to provide better transit. (WBRC)
The auto-centric Detroit suburb of Sterling Heights passed a Vision Zero plan. (Detroit News)
Cleveland business owners are resisting replacing Market District parking spaces with bus lanes, showing that even people who went to school for urban planning can get car brain. (Scene)
Are drivers targeting bike advocates? In Chicago, a cyclist was beaten with a crowbar after calling out a driver blocking a bike lane (Streetsblog Chicago). And in England, one cyclist has stopped documenting his close calls with drivers because of threats from online trolls (The Guardian).
Transport for London is investing more than $100 million over the next year in bike lanes and pedestrian crossings. (Traffic Technology Today)
On the strength of a March referendum, pro-bike Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo plans to close an additional 500 streets to cars. (Domus)
E-bikes now account for more than half the bike sales in Austria. (Bicycle Retailer)