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

Main photo: Gage Skidmore

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)