Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
Today's Headlines

Friday’s Free-Range Headlines

Bad drivers and giant trucks are ruining our children's childhoods, and more parents are speaking out.

A thing of the past?

|Seattle Municipal Archives
  • Parents who grew up riding their bikes around the neighborhood now feel like it's too dangerous for their kids. And they're right: vehicles are bigger, speeds are faster, and drivers are more distracted and aggressive. The lack of independence is harmful for children, and it may make drivers even worse because they're not used to seeing cyclists. (Washington Post)
  • People who move from unwalkable to walkable cities take 1,100 more steps per day and are twice as likely to reach their exercise goals, according to a new study. (ABC News)
  • Cars cover so much of cities that their paint and metal surfaces soak up the sun and make the surrounding air warmer, and dark-colored cars are the worst. (Carbon Copy)
  • Perception is reality when people judge how safe they think a street is. (State Smart Transportation Initiative)
  • RAGBRAI, the world's largest recreational bike ride, held annually in Iowa, is always a challenge, but it's getting even harder thanks to climate change. (Inside Climate News)
  • Texts from Houston Mayor John Whitmire prove that removing protected bike lanes from Austin Street really was about the bike lanes, not drainage as city officials insisted. (Chron)
  • A survey of Colorado e-bike rebate recipients found that many of them are using their e-bikes to replace car trips, but snow and a lack of protected infrastructure are barriers. (Sun)
  • Portland bike advocates are opposed to removing traffic diverters that city officials claim impede police access. (KGW)
  • Facing rising costs and skepticism in the Black community, the Michigan DOT is pulling back from plans to turn I-375 in Detroit into a surface street. (Free Press)
  • Metro Transit in the Twin Cities is expanding service by 5 percent. (Minneapolis Star Tribune)
  • Why aren't other cities in Washington state following Spokane's lead and ditching parking mandates? (Sightline)
  • If you want to get a sidewalk built in Kansas City, learn the process and speak out. (Star)
  • A Pennsylvania museum restored the "Terrible Trolley," which was painted to celebrate the Pittsburgh Steelers' four Super Bowls in 1980 and mothballed in 1998. (CBS News)
  • Mario Paglino and Gianni Grossi, an Italian couple known for turning Barbie dolls into art, died in a car crash with a wrong-way driver. (New York Times)

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Mobility in Rural America: How India’s Popular Transportation Can Be A Model For US Transit Deserts

Lower ridership after Covid, combined with ongoing transit budget cuts, has caused a significant decrease in frequent and reliable public transit service for small and rural communities. Here's one way to fill the gap.

November 11, 2025

Tuesday’s Headlines Are Burning Up

On climate change, the gap is growing between what governments are promising and doing, and neither is enough.

November 11, 2025

Elise Stefanik Wants to Be NY Governor — Yet Says Nothing About Transit

Her campaign launch suggest her intent to use transit as a political pawn to stoke fear.

November 10, 2025

The False ‘Trolley Problem’ At the Heart of the Autonomous Vehicle Debate

Waymo said it has a "plan" for when one of the company's cars kills someone. But we should be planning for a world when no car kills anyone — autonomous or not.

November 10, 2025

Monday’s Headlines Did Their Civic Duty

Around 80 percent of local transportation referendums passed muster with voters last week.

November 10, 2025

Transit Funding in Pennsylvania Can’t Wait

State and Federal leaders must act to keep our transit safe and in service.

November 10, 2025
See all posts