Monday’s Headlines Hit the Beach
North America needs more coastal bikeways like those in European beach towns, David Zipper writes in CityLab.
By
Blake Aued
12:01 AM EDT on August 4, 2025
- To stretch transit funding further, the Niskanen Center suggests that the federal government form an agency to help state and local governments plan and design projects, and reward grant applicants that prioritize building housing near transit.
- With pandemic funds running out, a majority of states will have trouble maintaining their roads in coming years, according to a Pew report. (Smart Cities Dive)
- Democrats are getting frustrated with the Pennsylvania legislature’s impasse over transit funding. (Philadelphia Inquirer)
- Most cities put the burden of sidewalk maintenance on property owners, but do little to enforce it. Denver’s new sidewalk fee means the city will have funds to repair thousands of miles of sidewalks. (Governing)
- Car culture and a lack of separated bike lanes are keeping people from riding in the Great Lakes region (Great Lakes Now). Biking is becoming easier and more popular in Detroit, but remains dangerous (Bridge Michigan).
- Plans for a 14-mile trail connecting Pittsburgh’s eastern suburbs are starting to come together. (WESA)
- Richmond is putting 13th Street on a road diet. (Standard)
- Austin’s CapMetro changed its bikeshare fee schedule effective Aug. 1. (KXAN)
- Syracuse has banned drivers from blocking bike lanes. (WAER)
- A World Cup-related plan would fill in a bike lane gap between the Seattle Center and the rest of downtown. (The Urbanist)
- After extending light rail to Lynnwood, Seattle’s Sound Transit is looking to Everett next. (KIRO)
- More than half the Kansas City streetcar extension’s route will run on transit-only lanes. (Mass Transit)
- Montgomery County, Maryland released a Vision Zero plan. (WTOP)
- Milwaukee’s on-demand paratransit service is running out of money. (Urban Milwaukee)
- Omaha Mayor John Ewing is using the city’s new streetcar to leverage funding for affordable housing. (Nebraska Examiner)
- An Ontario court ruled that Doug Ford’s provincial government can’t remove bike lanes in Toronto. (Momentum)
- Europe’s coastal bikeways are fun to ride on and help ease congestion in beach towns. So why are they uncommon in North America? (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
Transportation Advocates Split on Senate’s Big Permitting Bill
Would the BAAJA blast multimodal projects out of bureaucratic purgatory, make it a breeze to expand highways ... or both? Advocates sound off.
November 11, 2026
Wednesday’s Headlines Vote With Our Feet
What will it take to get pro-transit voters to actually ride transit?
November 11, 2026
How (And Why) To Capture the Livable Streets Movement on Film
Clarence Eckerson Jr. of Streetfilms talks with "The War on Cars" about how he uses filmmaking as a tool to make cities better.
November 10, 2026
Tuesday’s Headlines Are Still Surfing the Blue Wave
Politicians may not realize it, but U.S. voters are overwhelmingly in favor of transit.
November 10, 2026
The Growing Vehicle Problem That California Needs to Address
As pedestrian and cyclist deaths rise, the growing size and weight of American vehicles are making streets more dangerous. Here's some solutions: tax oversized vehicles, improve safety ratings and make smaller electric vehicles a more practical option for everyday trips.
November 9, 2026
