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

Wednesday’s Headlines Are Going Broke

Americans are bankrupting themselves paying for depreciating assets that they mostly drive short distances, when an e-bike would do just as well.

  • The average cost of owning and operating a car in the U.S. is now over $12,000 a year, which means a family with two vehicles is spending $25,000 a year on payments, insurance, fuel and maintenance. (Fast Company)
  • President Trump's proposed Amtrak budget would shift almost $300 million from the busy Northeast Corridor to other parts of the country (Trains). Possibly related: Paul Krugman wonders why MAGA hates New York City so much when the subway is safe and so many fewer people die in traffic than, say Florida.
  • It's illegal for the Trump administration to freeze funding for electric vehicle chargers, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of Congress. (Equipment World)
  • Two congressmen introduced a bill directing the Federal Highway Administration to fast-track 10 highway projects. (Transportation Today)
  • Under a recent Supreme Court ruling, federal agencies and judges can only consider the most narrow environmental impacts of infrastructure projects, not the broader effect on the climate. (Heatmap)
  • The Texas legislature did not pass the "DART killer" bill that would have crippled Dallas transit (Morning News) or another bill banning road diets (Houston Chronicle).
  • Seattle's Sound Transit is considering wholesale changes to major projects as it faces federal uncertainty, rising costs and declining tax revenue. (The Urbanist)
  • Blind pedestrians are suing Washington, D.C. over its uneven sidewalks. (WaPost)
  • Two slimmed-down versions of I-794 and a surface boulevard are among the four options the Wisconsin DOT is considering. (Urban Milwaukee)
  • Amtrak's Borealis route between the Twin Cities and Chicago carried more than 200,000 passengers in its first year. (Minneapolis Star-Tribune)
  • Ridership on Cincinnati's Bell Connector streetcar has more than doubled since it went fare-free in 2019. (Cincinnati Magazine)
  • Salt Lake City put a sculpture in the middle of a traffic circle in hopes of encouraging drivers to slow down. (Fox 13)
  • Should dogs be allowed on public transit? (New York Post)

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Friday’s Headlines Are Doomed

Philadelphia transit is falling off the fiscal cliff, with other major cities not far behind. And the effects of service cuts on their economies could be brutal.

June 27, 2025

Talking Headways Podcast: Why We Need ‘Universal Basic Mobility’

In a very special podcast, we’re joined by the great Madeline Brozen of UCLA to talk about how guaranteed transit lowers people's stress.

June 26, 2025

Berlin Moves Closer to Banning Cars From A Zone Bigger Than Manhattan

Berlin could soon set the bar for human-centered cities around the world, now that a long-sought ballot measure is finally being released from political limbo.

June 26, 2025

Study: America’s Blind Spots Are Expanding

The drivers of America's most popular cars can see less and less of the road every year — and regulators aren't stepping in.

June 26, 2025

Thursday’s Headlines Adjust Our Screens

The misinformation regarding climate change is shifting. Don't believe the hype.

June 25, 2025
See all posts