The Sound and the Fury of Friday’s Headlines
The tales of internal combustion engines may be told by an idiot, but an EV's silence signifies nothing.
By
Blake Aued
12:51 AM EDT on June 20, 2025
- One of the nice things about electric vehicles is that they don’t make much noise. That’s a drawback, though, for people walking or on bikes who can’t hear them coming. A Washington Post interactive feature delves into the issue of what kinds of sounds EVs should make.
- President Trump’s relationship with Elon Musk and Tesla echoes Trump’s nostalgia for the 1950s, when freeways would solve everything and what what was good for General Motors was good for the country. (Places Journal)
- If ever flying cars do come to pass, rest assured that Sean Duffy is on it. (Transport Topics)
- Living in a walkable city is a gift for children, not being cast out of suburbia like adults viewed it during Lauren Phillips’ childhood. (Only Sky)
- More than anything else, globalization is the root cause of climate change. (Time)
- A San Francisco grand jury that looked into the failure of the city’s Vision Zero policy recommended more traffic enforcement. (CBS News)
- BikePortland has the first-hand account of a cyclist who was intentionally hit by a driver during the Pedalpalooza mass ride.
- Baltimore is considering eliminating its parking requirement for new housing. (Banner)
- Critics claim SEPTA is inefficient, but the Philadelphia transit agency does more with less than most of its peers. (Inquirer)
- A constitutional amendment banning a vehicle-miles-driven tax will come before Arizona voters in November. (Ballotpedia)
- Austin could cut affordable housing subsidies by allowing taller buildings. (California YIMBY)
- The Kansas City streetcar is already transforming the city. (Star)
- Honda introduced a four-wheeled pedal-assist delivery vehicle that’s legal to ride in a bike lane. (Electrek)
- American cities have a love/hate relationship with e-scooters, but European cities have grown to embrace them. CityLab explains why.
- Uber’s dynamic pricing cuts drivers’ share in the UK. (The Guardian)
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.
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