Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
Today's Headlines

Thursday’s Headlines Take It To the Grave

A Republican leader is proposing new fees on cars to replace lost gas taxes. But the real reason the feds are running out of highway money isn't EVs, it's an addiction to road-building.

Missouri congressman Sam Graves.

|Defense Visual Information Distribution Service
  • House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee chair Sam Graves (R - Mo.) successfully pushed a proposal for a $250 fee on electric vehicles and $100 on hybrids to boost the Highway Trust Fund (The Hill). But the fund isn't being drained by declining gas tax revenue — it's being drained because Congress loves to build roads (The Equation, SBUSA).
  • Cutting service to make up budget deficits could hobble transit agencies for years, even if the cuts are restored, because some riders will buy cars, even if they can't really afford one (CityLab). This would lead to more congestion for— example, in Philadelphia, SEPTA cuts would put 275,000 more cars on the road (WHYY)
  • Robotaxis might replace human-driven taxis, but they're unlike to replace personal vehicles. (CleanTechnica)
  • Once merely a place to park, EV chargers, delivery and ride-hailing drivers and more are now competing for valuable curb space. (Traffic Technology Today)
  • Jarrett Walker eulogizes the late Pope Francis, who understood that cars "are often a source of much suffering." (Human Transit)
  • Washington, D.C. is filing lawsuits against Maryland and Virginia drivers who've racked up hundreds of unpaid tickets. (Axios)
  • Houston and Galveston are studying the possibility of light rail or bus rapid transit along the Highway 90 corridor. (Houston Public Media)
  • Without light rail, the Atlanta Beltline is more of a recreation trail than actual transportation. (Georgia Public Broadcasting)
  • After twice failing to find a contractor willing to build a bus rapid transit line under budget, Raleigh is bidding the project out in stages. (News & Observer)
  • Birmingham, Alabama is trying to build a world-class bike trail network. (Birmingham Times)
  • McSweeney's has a disillusioned urban planner's glossary to entertain you while you sit through a three-hour public hearing.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Is Austin a Vision Zero Leader Hiding In Plain Sight?

Changes have been slow in Bat City, but they are meaningful and starting to show success.

November 24, 2025

‘Dirty and Embarrassing’: Disgraced Former Gov. Fights Against Street Safety in Mayoral Run

All eyes are on the Garden State's second city, where a former governor plots a comeback with a divisive, anti-safety campaign.

November 24, 2025

Monday’s Headlines Are Bussin’

The U.S. DOT released $2 billion for 165 agencies to buy 2,400 new buses.

November 24, 2025

Friday Video: The Largest U.S. City With No Transit

Can communities really keep people moving without fixed-route transit? Find out on this visit to Texas.

November 21, 2025

Friday’s Headlines Tread Carefully

The Washington Post too a deep dive into the epidemic of pedestrian deaths, which rose from 4,300 in 2010 to more than 7,000 in 2023.

November 21, 2025

Talking Headways Podcast: Emotional Consumption in China

High-speed rail has completely transformed the country. Think about that sentence: "High-speed rail has completely transformed the country." When was the last time something positive like that happened here?

November 20, 2025
See all posts