Thursday’s Headlines Are a Sneak Preview

Want to see what happens when a city makes major transit cuts? Just look at Philadelphia. It's not pretty.

By Blake Aued

12:01 AM EDT on August 28, 2025

Kids are forced to leave for school at 6 a.m. and workers are forced to take $50 Uber rides because of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority's "death spiral" service cuts. The same catastrophes are coming to Chicago, San Francisco, Dallas and perhaps other cities if officials can't find funding solutions. (Associated Press, Streetsblog USA)
The chaos of the late 2010s has given way to new acceptance of bikeshares and e-scooters. (Planetizen)
Trying to purge "equity" from transportation has been a huge self-own for Republicans. (New York Times)
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is not collecting enough data to truly judge traffic safety. (Transportation for America)
A proposed merger of two freight rail companies will increase the risk of toxic derailments like the one in East Palestine, Ohio, two years ago. (The Guardian)
More delivery robots are coming to clog up city sidewalks. (The Verge)
Charlotte officials are concerned about light rail safety following a recent stabbing death (Queen City News). While any murder is tragic, it's important to remember that taking transit is much safer than driving (Planetizen). And there's safety in numbers — violent crime is plummeting on Bay Area Rapid Transit as ridership grows (Oaklandside).
BART is the first West Coast transit agency to switch to contactless fare payment. (ITS International)
The National Transportation Safety Board blamed an overhead wire for a fire on a Dallas train that injured 14 people. (DFW NBC)
Salt Lake City residents are OK with long commutes if that's what it takes to find affordable housing. (Tribune)
The Atlanta Beltline bought a crime-ridden nightclub and other properties in the Buckhead neighborhood to expand the Beltline trail. (11 Alive)
Boston's latest solution to traffic congestion? Get in the sea. (WBUR)
Houston is now known for its wide, traffic-choked freeways, but a vast network of railroads and trolleys set it on the path of becoming a major city. (Houstonian)
Pedal Pittsburgh drew 3,000 participants, from toddlers just learning to ride a bike to veteran cyclists seeking an endurance challenge. (Post-Gazette)