Wednesday’s Headlines Stop and Smell the Roses

Streets are now places where we walk somewhere as fast as we can if we're forced to leave our house.

By Blake Aued

12:08 AM EDT on August 6, 2025

Photo: David Schultz

The average American spends about two more hours at home every day than they did a generation ago (Washington Post). This leads to a more sedentary, unhealthy lifestyle, and also hurts our social lives — we now walk faster through public spaces instead of lingering (MIT, Yale). Smartphones are partially to blame, of course, but maybe if streets weren't so choked with cars, people would be more apt to use them?
Air pollution isn't as sensational as a flood or a hurricane, but it's the byproduct of climate change that's most likely to kill you. (New Republic)
President Trump's tariffs are making buses more expensive. (Smart Cities Dive)
The Senate confirmed former New York congressman Marcus Malinaro to head the Federal Transit Administration. (Trains)
If California transportation agencies want to widen roads, they'll also have to fund affordable housing to offset the additional traffic, according to a new state law. (State Smart Transportation Initiative)
The Dallas Area Rapid Transit board threatened to retaliate against member cities that continue to support legislation reducing their share of contributions by cutting funding for projects in those cities. (KERA)
Pete Saunders pushes back on Paul Krugman's argument that metro Atlanta's growth has stalled due to sprawl. (Author's aside: As a longtime Georgia resident, neither of them seems to understand that race is a more important factor than topography.)
The company that owns the tracks Brightline uses to operate is suing the privately owned Florida passenger rail service. (Miami Herald)
Pedestrian deaths in Anchorage rose 150 percent after the city decriminalized jaywalking. (Must Read Alaska)
Plans are moving forward to turn the Buffalo Central Terminal into a mixed use development. (CityLab)
Here's how to respond to all the ignorant arguments internet commenters make about how bike lanes are stupid. (Momentum)