- With 500 million shared mobility trips recorded worldwide, e-scooters and bikeshares are no longer a novelty, but part of the urban landscape (Cities Today). One operator, Veo, published a study calling the trend a mode shift away from cars. About a quarter of users don't have a driver's license, and 40 percent lack access to a car (Zag Daily).
- Americans are driving 2.3 percent fewer miles than they did in 2019, before driving dropped sharply during the pandemic. The trend is driven primarily by young adults. (State Smart Transportation Initiative)
- As their use grows, e-scooter injuries are skyrocketing, underscoring the need for safer street designs. (Axios)
- The Justice Department and Norfolk Southern settled a lawsuit giving Amtrak trains priority on freight lines. (Trains)
- Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley says he's introducing a bill to ban self-driving cars. (Business Insider)
- Pete Saunders argues for bringing back streetcar suburbs. (The Corner Side Yard)
- President Trump called for the death penalty for the man accused of murdering a woman on a Charlotte train (Fox News), a tragedy that's become a political football as the administration seeks to demonize cities in general and transit in particular.
- The Federal Transit Administration is launching an investigation into the Charlotte Area Transit System's security (Queen City News) and is threatening to withhold $33 million unless CATS produces a new transit plan within two weeks (WSOC, Streetsblog USA)
- A deal for California to float Bay Area transit agencies Muni and BART a $750 million loan is back on the table. (San Francisco Chronicle)
- Seattle added 35,000 people but just 3,300 cars between 2017 and 2023. (The Urbanist)
- At their current pace of growth, Houston, Dallas and Austin are projected to be the three biggest cities in the U.S. by 2100, so they should start preparing for higher density. (Urban Land Institute)
- Lyft is bringing robotaxis to Atlanta that will, at first, be operated by human drivers. (The Verge)
- Automated cameras will start ticketing speeders on Philadelphia's Broad Street next week. (Billy Penn)
- A Washington, D.C. program uses street art to create safer intersections. (The Wash)
Special Features
Sharing Is Caring for Friday’s Headlines
Young adults are driving less, and that may have something to do with the rise of shared micromobility devices.

New York City Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez actively promotes the city’s e-scooter program, which requires no license or registration.
|Photo: NYC DOTStay in touch
Sign up for our free newsletter
More from Streetsblog USA
Confirmed: Non-Driving Infrastructure Creates ‘Induced Demand,’ Too
Widening a highway to cure congestion is like losing weight by buying bigger pants — but thanks to the same principle of "induced demand," adding bike paths and train lines to cure climate actually works.
Friday’s Headlines Are Unsustainably Expensive
To paraphrase former New York City mayoral candidate Jimmy McMillan, the car payment is too damn high.
Talking Headways Podcast: Poster Sessions at Mpact in Portland
Young professionals discuss the work they’ve been doing including designing new transportation hubs, rethinking parking and improving buses.
Exploding Costs Could Doom One of America’s Greatest Highway Boondoggles
The Interstate Bridge Replacement Project and highway expansion between Oregon and Washington was already a boondoggle. Then the costs ballooned to $17.7 billion.
Mayor Bowser Blasts U.S. DOT Talk of Eliminating Enforcement Cameras in DC
The federal Department of Transportation is exploring how to dismantle the 26-year-old enforcement camera system in Washington, D.C.
Thursday’s Headlines Are Making Progress
By Yonah Freemark's count, 19 North American transit projects opened last year, with another 19 coming in 2026.





