Honey, Monday’s Headlines Shrunk the DOT
Federal agencies that oversee transit grants and highway safety lost more than a quarter of their employees to a Trump administration buyout program.
By
Blake Aued
12:01 AM EDT on July 21, 2025
- About 7 percent of U.S. DOT employees took an early buyout offer, with the hardest-hit agencies being the Federal Transit Administration and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. (Politico, CNBC)
- New research shows that transportation projects can contribute to gentrification, but with planning and resources, the effects can be mitigated. (Urban Institute)
- Children should be free to play wherever they want, but in most of the world the streets are too dangerous, thanks to selfish adults. (The Conversation)
- Older adults need special consideration when planning bike infrastructure. (Momentum)
- Uber is investing $300 million in electric vehicle manufacture Lucid and licensing self-driving technology from Nuro to expanding its growing robotaxi network by 20,000 (Axios). In addition, Lyft is working with May Mobility to bring robotaxis to Atlanta and Arlington, Texas (Smart Cities Dive).
- Blue cities and red state legislatures are increasingly at odds. Could a Charlotte transportation referendum point the way forward? (Governing)
- A longtime Atlanta transportation official argues for extending the streetcar to the Beltline. (AJC)
- After a month-long period of verbal warnings, Pittsburgh has started ticketing drivers who block bus-only lanes. (CBS News)
- The Trump administration clawed back $327 million in funding to turn Mass Pike into a surface road and build a new transit hub. (WBUR)
- Kansas City has plans to install 121 speed humps this year. (KSHB)
- A Harrisburg bus driver and union president lays out why transit is a need and not a want. (Pennsylvania Capital-Star)
- The mayor of Syracuse is calling on the city council to approve a Vision Zero initiative. (Local SYR)
- Instead of filling a disused underground railway with concrete, Yorkshire activists want to turn it into a walking and biking path. (The Guardian)
- Dutch-style intersections protect cyclists from turning cars. (CityLab)
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.
Read More:
More from Streetsblog USA
Why Cities Need More ‘Agile’ Streets
When projects are routed through a full capital-improvement workflow, solutions tend toward expensive, permanent interventions — not alternatives that might achieve 80 percent of the benefit at 10 percent of the cost.
March 26, 2026
Wednesday’s Headlines Feel Pain at the Pump
High gas prices are likely to persist, and people will be driving less in response.
March 25, 2026
D.C. Advocates Sue To Save Key Bike Lane From Trump Teardown
We previously reported that the Trump administration might soon move to dismantle key cycle tracks in the nation's capital. Unfortunately, we were right.
March 24, 2026
How a ‘Universal Basic Neighborhood’ Can Help Americans Live Longer
Want to increase your chances of living to 80? A new paper argues we need to start with our neighborhoods — and we need to do it for everybody.
March 24, 2026
Tuesday’s Headlines Keep Our Eyes on the Road
How much responsibility do tech companies bear for traffic deaths caused by distracted driving?
March 24, 2026
Comments Are Temporarily Disabled
Streetsblog is in the process of migrating our commenting system. During this transition, commenting is temporarily unavailable.
Once the migration is complete, you will be able to log back in and will have full access to your comment history. We appreciate your patience and look forward to having you back in the conversation soon.