Viva La Thursday’s Headlines

Why is French transit ridership up 10 percent since before the pandemic, while American transit ridership is down 23 percent?

By Blake Aued

12:01 AM EDT on July 10, 2025

Hugo Douchet, CC|

A light rail train in Paris.

For the most part, U.S. transit ridership still hasn't fully recovered from the pandemic. But it has in France. Yonah Freemark compared the two countries and found that, while several factors could be involved, one of them is that France provide higher quality service. (Urban Institute)
The Republican reconciliation bill claws back $4.7 billion in competitive transportation grant funding, including money to repair the damage from discriminatory highway projects. (Transportation for America)
China is making the world's best electric vehicles, but Americans can't buy them. (New York Times)
People for Bikes highlights some of the cities that are making the most progress on bike access, including Minneapolis, Seattle, Atlanta and Boston.
New York City congestion pricing remains a political football despite being an unmitigated success. (Jalopnik)
An Austin transportation board recommended narrowing car lanes on many streets to create space for amenities like trees and separated sidewalks and bike lanes. (Community Impact)
Omaha Mayor John Ewing says the city's streetcar project will generate $100 million for affordable housing. (WOWT)
The Charlotte city council will vote next month to put a transportation sales tax referendum with a 60/40 split between transit and roads. (WCNC)
The Federal Highway Administration reassured Knoxville leaders they still have a $24 million Biden administration RAISE grant for a pedestrian bridge connecting the city and the University of Tennessee. (WBIR)
The Oklahoma State Patrol may stop enforcing traffic laws in major cities and shift the burden to local law enforcement. (Voice)
The Utah Transit Authority and Salt Lake City plan to extend the S Line streetcar, but haven't decided how far. (KSL)
Bend is partnering with Veo to start a new bikeshare. (Central Oregon Daily News)
New Orleans' Blue Bike is adding 2,500 e-bikes to the bikeshare system over five years. (Axios)
Injuries and deaths have fallen by more than a third in London's low-traffic neighborhoods, while areas outside those zones saw no change. (The Guardian)