- Cluttered roads where drivers feel a little uneasy actually makes them safer because drivers will slow down (State Smart Transportation Initiative). In related news, all it takes is little things like benches and sidewalks to make drivers perk up (Fast Company).
- House Republicans now want to drop a $20 fee for gas-powered cars and raise their proposed $200 fee on electric vehicles to $250 (Reuters), which is even worse, because what's draining the highway trust fund is Congress' lust for more highway lanes and unwillingness to raise gas taxes, not EVs. (Streetsblog USA)
- Pittsburgh Regional Transit riders testified for seven hours about why a 45 percent service cut would devastate their lives. (Union Progress)
- St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer paused a north-south MetroLink line out of concern that the project won't be able to compete for a piece of a shrinking federal pie. (St. Louis Public Radio)
- The fast-growing D.C. suburb of Montgomery County, Maryland is shifting toward a multimodal future. (Greater Greater Washington)
- The Federal Transit Administration is allowing the West Seattle Link Extension to move forward. (Westside Seattle)
- At least some Texas legislators are behind high-speed rail, with one pushing an Austin-to-San Antonio line. (Texas Public Radio)
- Philadelphia's carbon emissions dropped 31 percent between 2006 and 2022, but the low-hanging fruit is gone, and tough decisions are ahead. (WHYY)
- More than 100 volunteers set up tactical urbanism projects in three Indianapolis neighborhoods. (WFYI)
- If Uber does leave Colorado due to pro-driver regulations, worker-friendly local alternatives are ready to fill the void. (KGNU)
- Pensacola set a Vision Zero goal of 2035. (WEAR)
- A Melbourne professor helps keep the trains on time for some of the world's busiest transit systems, from Dubai to Hong Kong. (The Guardian)
- Fifteen-minute "eco-districts" in France would put American transit-oriented developments to shame. (The Urban Condition)
- Ikea is opening a new store in London, and it wants Mayor Sadiq Khan to go through with a controversial plan to close Oxford Street to cars. (CityLab)
Today's Headlines
Friday’s Headlines Keep Their Eyes on the Prize
Traffic engineers often think wide, straight roads are safe. Forget that. A few trees here, a few benches there is all it takes to make drivers perk up, slow down and pay attention.
By Blake Aued
The more stuff, the more careful drivers are.
Read More:
Stay in touch
Sign up for our free newsletter
More from Streetsblog USA
Thursday’s Headlines Are Open 24 Hours
Between an egg surcharge and now EV chargers, late-night diner chain Waffle House looks ready to thrown down with the Trump administration.
May 22, 2025
How A Single Transportation Emergency Can Keep Parents From Achieving Their College Dreams
Abigail Seldin of Scholarship America about the 3.8 million U.S. students who are earning degrees while raising families.
May 22, 2025
Republican Senators Press Attack on CA’s Clean Air Laws
Anyone hoping that Congressional Republican leaders would follow generations of precedent regarding the role of the non-partisan Senate Parliamentarian or the Government Accountability Office (GAO) had a very bad day yesterday.
Wednesday’s Headlines Have a System
The safe systems approach to street design, popular in Europe, could cut U.S. traffic deaths in half.
May 21, 2025
Does Transportation Advocacy Have a Place In the Wake of a Deadly Tornado?
Much of St. Louis is struggling in the wake of a deadly tornado. Amid such disasters, urbanism needs a pause and a rethink.
May 21, 2025
Tuesday’s Headlines Show Elections Have Consequences
"Woke" transit agencies need not apply for federal grants now that father of nine Sean Duffy is in charge.
May 20, 2025
