Friday’s Headlines Battle Galactus

Like the Marvel supervillain, U.S. interstate highway system seems to eat up everything in his path. A new book explores how to stop it.

By Blake Aued

12:01 AM EDT on July 11, 2025

Houston’s Katy Freeway is 26 lanes wide in places and could get even wider.

|Photo: Hequals2Henry, CC

University of Pennsylvania professor Erick Guerra's new book "Overbuilt" notes that highways take up a fifth to a quarter of all public land in the U.S. David Zipper interviewed Guerra about congestion versus access, the benefits of toll roads, and how the gas tax encourages road construction. (CityLab)
E-bikes are great, but what happens to their batteries when they reach the end of their life cycle? (Citti Magazine)
A new generation of batteries for electric cars could charge in less than 20 seconds, power the vehicle for 1,000 miles on a single charge and/or last 10 years longer than current models. (The Cool Down)
Criminal defendants, custody seekers and jurors are more likely to miss court dates if Pennsylvania transit agencies are forced to make drastic service cuts. (City & State)
The austerity measures proposed in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh are likely to lead to a death spiral and could repeat themselves all over the country. (The American Prospect)
Still no decision on whether to include light rail when replacing the I-5 bridge connecting Portland and Vancouver, Washington. (The Columbian)
A Seattle City Council vote paved the way to start building the next round of light rail projects. (The Urbanist)
An independent report will examine why Portland failed to reach Vision Zero. (BikePortland)
A popular Olympia cut-through is getting a sidewalk and protected bike lane. (The Olympian)
History is repeating itself in Nashville as the city debates another car-centric arterial gashing through the East Bank neighborhood. (Scene)
A construction project at Chicago's Lincoln Square unearthed the remains of what was once one of the world's largest streetcar systems. (WTTW)
Who's making these benches that have been popping up near San Francisco transit stops? (Chronicle)
A new museum will honor Hector Guimard, the nearly forgotten designer of art nouveau entrances to the Paris Metro's early 20th century stations. (The Guardian)