Friday’s Headlines Are In the Clear
Transit consultant Jarrett Walker explains to frustrated drivers why bus-only lanes are important.
By
Blake Aued
12:01 AM EDT on June 13, 2025
- Empty bus lanes are a good thing, because they mean one motorist isn’t holding up 30 other people on a bus, Human Transit author Jarrett Walker writes in the Globe and Mail.
- The U.S. DOT released grant funding for almost 200 rail and transit projects. (Trains)
- A Senate committee approved President Trump’s nomination of Sean McMaster to head the Federal Highway Administration. (Transport Topics)
- Electric buses have many benefits, but they don’t perform well in below-freezing weather, according to a Cornell University study. (WRVO)
- A sales tax referendum to fund roads, rail and transit in metro Charlotte is moving through the North Carolina legislature. (Blue Ridge Public Radio)
- The Twin Cities’ notoriously slow 21 bus is about to replaced by bus rapid transit. (Axios)
- Miami is considering a plan to double the allowed density near transit stations. (WLRN)
- The head of Philadelphia transit agency SEPTA went to the capital in Harrisburg to lobby for more state funding. (KYW)
- Birmingham officials are frustrated that state law doesn’t allow them to use gas taxes to fund transit. (WVTM)
- Traffic deaths in North Dakota hit a 24-year low. (Grand Forks Herald)
- The Hop streetcar in Milwaukee is changing its route and expanding hours for Summerfest attendees this weekend. (Journal-Sentinel)
- Cleveland’s sidewalks are so jacked up that skunks are making nests underneath them. (News 5)
Blake Aued has been doing Streetsblog's daily national news digest for years. He's also an Atlanta Braves fan, which enrages his editor in New York.
Read More:
Streetsblog has migrated to a new comment system. New commenters can register directly in the comments section of any article. Returning commenters: your previous comments and display name have been preserved, but you'll need to reclaim your account by clicking "Forgot your password?" on the sign-in form, entering your email, and following the verification link to set a new password — this is required because passwords could not be carried over during the migration. For questions, contact tips@streetsblog.org.
More from Streetsblog USA
Friday’s Headlines Do Things Backwards
The best cities have street grids with small blocks, but in recent decades cities have ceded the important responsibility of designing streets to private developers.
October 2, 2026
Op-Ed: How Urban Planning Can Succeed in America
Urban planners should study successful experiments throughout the country.
October 2, 2026
Friday Video: Fine, We’ll Talk about the E-Bike Episode on South Park
The fictional Colorado town has ample parking day or night... and the same issues with deadly e-motos getting confused for e-bikes as the rest of the country, apparently.
October 2, 2026
Talking Headways Podcast: Architecture’s Role in Population Decline
Good design is great, but if you can't afford it, you can't have babies. A very special edition of the podcast.
October 1, 2026
Steal This Idea: ‘Emergency Streets’ Strategy Gets First Real-World Pilot
The city of Spokane moved quickly to close a lane at the site where an 18-year-old motorcyclist died in a single-vehicle collision just a few days prior.
October 1, 2026
