Are Thursday’s Headlines the Chicken or the Egg?

Americans love their cars, but most also don't have access to quality transit. Which is the cause, and which is the effect?

By Blake Aued

1:02 AM EDT on June 19, 2025

Graphic: General Motors, 1960|

America’s car culture doesn’t seem to have changed much since the 1950s.

Car culture is still dominant in the U.S. Out of 8,000 respondents to a University of Texas survey funded by the U.S. DOT, 85% said owning a car is important to them, and 60% said they have no alternative to driving. (Smart Cities Dive)
Congressional Republicans' proposed electric vehicle isn't an effort to make EV owners pay their fair share for roads, but rather a punitive tax on EVs, Matt Bai writes for the Washington Post.
Darrell Owens backtracks on his support for civilian traffic enforcement officers because he realized unarmed public servants would be at the mercy of armed motorists prone to road rage. He know favors automated cameras as way to enforce traffic laws that doesn't endanger Black drivers. (The Discourse Lounge)
It may take awhile to fix the New York City subway with revenue from congestion pricing, but already buses are running faster, and automobile commuters are dealing with less traffic. (The Guardian)
A plan to provide almost $300 million for Pennsylvania transit agencies passed the state House, but still faces a vote in the Senate, where it died in the past. (CBS News)
Seattle rail stations keep getting bigger, and shrinking them could help bring down spiraling construction costs. (The Urbanist)
Baltimore light rail will resume service to the city's main intercity rail hub at Penn Station for the first time in years. (Banner)
A Vision Zero plan is moving forward in Milwaukee. (Journal-Sentinel)
Construction has started on Rochester, Minnesota's fare-free bus rapid transit system. (Minneapolis Star Tribune)
A North Omaha family is calling for safer streets after their child was killed in a crash. (3 News Now)
Bismarck, North Dakota is experimenting with heated sidewalks that prevent people from slipping on snow and ice. (KX News)
Oregon Public Broadcasting's "Think Out Loud" podcast discusses what a $2 billion state transportation bill would mean for local governments.
Ridership is slipping on China's high-speed trains because many workers can't afford tickets that are the equivalent of a day's wages or two. (Asia Times)
Asked about Toronto's bike lanes while filming his Netflix series "FUBAR," Arnold Schwarzenegger said, "I'll be back." (Momentum Mag)