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)
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:
Streetsblog has migrated to a new comment system. New commenters can register directly in the comments section of any article. Returning commenters: your previous comments and display name have been preserved, but you'll need to reclaim your account by clicking "Forgot your password?" on the sign-in form, entering your email, and following the verification link to set a new password — this is required because passwords could not be carried over during the migration. For questions, contact tips@streetsblog.org.
More from Streetsblog USA
Tuesday’s Headlines Say C’est la Vie to Equity
Racist transportation planning is perfectly OK with the Trump administration.
June 16, 2026
Safety Last: Under Trump, U.S. Roads Continue To Be ‘Dangerous By Design’
This is nothing to be proud of: Of the 20 most-deadly states in a 2022 report, 19 showed no signs of improvement or became even more dangerous.
June 16, 2026
New York Cyclists Struggle As Illegal Vehicles Flood City Streets
"Better street design" is not "some kind of mystery," says best friend of cyclist Dmytro Stechenko, who was killed in head-on collision with an illegal stand up scooter rider in the May 28 Queensboro Bridge crash.
June 16, 2026
The Bus Bench Revolution Wants You to Enlist — Here’s How
Not all heroes wear capes – some wear high-viz vests and safety goggles.
June 15, 2026
‘World Cup’ on the Podcast: Is LA Ready for the FIFA-Pocalypse?
In this special World Cup edition, SGV Connect talks with Foothill Transit about how transit agencies across Los Angeles County are preparing for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
June 15, 2026
