Wednesday’s Headlines Put On the Red Light

News stories usually present them as a cash grab, but automated traffic enforcement cameras are widely supported by the public.

By Blake Aued

12:07 AM EDT on September 3, 2025

News outlets and elected officials assume that traffic enforcement cameras are widely unpopular, even if they concede that the devices save lives. That's not a belief rooted in data, though. Polls show that most Americans support cameras, even more so when told that they're less racially biased than human police officers. (CityLab)
China is better at building infrastructure projects quickly than the U.S. because it's a nation of engineers, as opposed to a nation of lawyers. (Vox; paywall)
Switching to electric school buses could save $1.6 billion in climate and health care costs in the U.S. (The City Fix)
Amtrak's new Acela trains are nice, but with a top speed of 160 miles per hour, they're still pretty slow compared to their Asian and European counterparts. (New York Times)
Fort Lauderdale joined Delray and Key West in fighting the Florida DOT over a deadline imposed by the Trump administration to remove their rainbow crosswalks. (CNN)
The U.S. DOT took control of Union Station as the Trump administration's takeover of Washington, D.C. continues. (Washington Post)
Repealing Denver's minimum parking requirements could make housing more affordable, or developers might still continue to build more parking than they need. (Rocky Mountain PBS)
The Milwaukee County Transit System has a 33 percent fare evasion rate. (Fox 6)
Delaware's SEPTA rail line is safe for now. (News Journal; paywall)
A Pennsylvania state representative is walking 105 miles from Philadelphia to the capital in Harrisburg to support transit funding. (WGAL)
Apparently bike riders in Boston don't eat donuts? (CBS News)
During a visit to Santa Fe in the 1960s, urbanist Lewis Mumford made some observations that are still relevant. (Planetizen)
This quick YouTube video by HeyHondo explains why bad street design encourages jaywalking.