Wednesday’s Headlines Are a Different Kind of Death Spiral

Transit funding cuts lead to faster climate change leads to economic catastrophe leads to more transit cuts.

By Blake Aued

12:04 AM EDT on September 10, 2025

SEPTA got a temporary reprieve, but other cities’ transit agencies still face nine-figure budget deficits.

|Photo: David Wilson

The "death spiral" faced by several cities' transit agencies won't just hurt the economy — with damage estimated at $38 trillion (Marketplace) — but potentially cripple efforts to cut carbon emissions from the transportation sector. (Politico)
The real threat to Americans' lifestyle isn't transitioning away from fossil fuels; it's the disastrous effects of climate change the longer we wait, according to a former U.S. Department of Energy official. (The Hill)
Airborne fine particle pollution causes a common form of dementia, new research shows. (The Guardian)
President Trump is taking credit for Biden administration infrastructure projects Trump tried to kill. So are Republican members of Congress who voted against the infrastructure bill. (New York Times)
The current U.S. House version of a transportation and housing bill would cut funding for transit and rail by about $5 billion. (E&E News; paywall)
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is threatening to withhold federal funds from the Charlotte Area Transit System over a fatal stabbing on a light rail train. (Charlotte Observer; Streetsblog USA)
The Trump administration will not try to claw back a $60 million grant to convert part of a lakefront Cleveland freeway into a boulevard. (Plain Dealer)
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro approved Philadelphia transit agency SEPTA's request to use $394 million in capital funds to stop service cuts and fare hikes, but that will only solve SEPTA's fiscal problems for two years. (WHYY)
The Washington, D.C. region is falling well short of its carbon dioxide emissions goals. (Greater Greater Washington)
Extreme heat and high usage mean Las Vegas needs a higher-than-usual number of spare buses, but federal rules prevent it from buying more. (Nevada Current)
Riverside Drive in Memphis recently reopened with traffic calming measures that will make it safer to walk to a nearby park. (Commercial Appeal)
The first of three pedestrian bridges over the Oklahoma River recently opened in Oklahoma City. (Oklahoman)
Copenhagen is building Denmark's longest bike and pedestrian bridge. (The Danish Dream)
Cargo bikes are taking off in Montreal. (NextCity)
Even a Barbie jeep has to follow the rules of the road, as a British Columbia man found out when police arrested him while driving the pink toy. (CBC)