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.
By
Blake Aued
1:16 AM EDT on June 27, 2025
- Places Journal is running a series on “rethinking the interstates.” The first installment posits that the relationship between Tesla and MAGA harkens back to the New Deal era, when what was good for GM was good for the country. The second wonders whether the Biden administration’s infrastructure reforms like grants to reconnect cities divided by urban freeways will survive.
- The backlog of needed transit repairs and upgrades in the U.S. nearly doubled to $140 billion between 2008 and 2022, according to a new report. (Pew Research Center)
- A federal judge referenced “The Simpsons” in ordering the Trump administration to unfreeze billions of dollars for electric vehicle chargers in 14 states. (Newsweek)
- The National Association of City Transportation Officials issued a guide to supporting delivery bikes.
- New technology like LIDAR and AI can help cities measure near-misses, a critical missing data point for making streets and intersections safer. (Cities Today)
- Cutting bus service doesn’t just hurt riders. The effects ripple throughout a city’s economy. (Metro Magazine)
- “Doomsday” is here for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority. The Philadelphia transit agency passed a budget that deals with a $213 million deficit by raising fares and cutting service by 45 percent. However, the cuts could still be avoided if the Pennsylvania legislature approves additional funding (Inquirer). The problem is not just a Philadelphia one — the Pennsylvania Capital-Star argues that SEPTA benefits the entire state.
- Car ownership was the dividing line between Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for New York City mayor, and runner-up Andrew Cuomo. Motorists mostly backed Cuomo in Tuesday’s primary, while everyone else supported Mamdani. (Jalopnik)
- Utah green-lit a 10-mile light rail line connecting fast-growing and congested parts of metro Salt Lake City. (KSL)
- The Charlotte city council approved a $1.4 million contract to remove tripping hazards from sidewalks. (WSOC)
- Two North Carolina parents whose son was hit and killed by a driver were arrested for allowing the 7-year-old and his brother to walk two blocks home from a grocery store. Meanwhile, the driver was not charged. (NBC News)
- San Francisco transit agency Muni introduced a Wordle-style game for transit nerds called Routle. (Standard)
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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