Friday’s Headlines Got DOGE’d Again

Amidst uncertainty about future federal funding, Amtrak is cutting $100 million and 450 jobs.

By Blake Aued

1:33 AM EDT on May 9, 2025

Amtrak is likely to be on the chopping block when Donald Trump moves back into the White House.

|Amtrak

Two months after the Trump administration forced Amtrak's CEO to step down, it's cutting 450 jobs in an effort to save $100 million. (Reuters)
House Republicans are considering changing the federal environmental review process (Heatmap), which could be good or bad. NEPA has been used to block highway and transit construction alike over the past five decades.
President Trump's "skinny budget" isn't as innocuous as it seems from a transportation standpoint. (Transportation for America)
Automakers are going back to dashboard buttons after learning that touchscreen controls are too difficult for impaired drivers, resulting in crashes. (Wired)
Seventeen states are suing the Trump administration for withholding $6 billion in funds for electric vehicle chargers approved under the Biden administration. (Electrek)
A federal judge told the Trump administration that it can't impose new conditions on a previously approved transit grant for Seattle. (Washington Post)
Thirty years of planning helped sleepy Redmond grow from a Seattle suburb into a small city with a light rail line. (The Urbanist)
San Antonio is moving toward creating a bike and pedestrian safety commission. (KSAT)
Denver is considering legislation to get e-scooters off sidewalks, where they endanger pedestrians. (Denverite)
San Francisco spent $2.5 billion on Vision Zero over five years, and its streets are less safe than ever. What went wrong? (Examiner)
Pittsburgh's low-cost traffic calming program could be a model for every city. (Strong Towns)
Subaru will start selling vehicles in Europe and Japan with exterior airbags to protect cyclists and pedestrians — but not in the U.S., where safety standards are weaker. (Core 77)
Barcelona's lauded "superblock" design is being considered for world historical status. (The Times)
For $2,400, you and your whole crew can party on a Toronto streetcar. (Curiocity)