It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s Wednesday’s Headlines

Is our Jetsons future is finally upon us? Plus, a new and better way to measure streets' level of service.

By Blake Aued

12:06 AM EDT on September 17, 2025

Uber|

The future? Oy.

The Trump administration is fast-tracking flying taxis (Reuters), because surely flocks of lightly regulated helicopters hundreds of feet in the air is safer than a train on the ground.
Trump's signature "big, beautiful bill" will put $40 billion into the pockets of oil and gas companies over the next decade, on top of the $31 billion a year in subsidies the fossil fuel industry already receives. (Wired)
The current method of judging how well a street works, based on the level of congestion, results in wider roads and contributes to sprawl. Instead, the basis should be how many extra miles driven are caused by a new development, which would reward density. (Planetizen)
Despite many drivers' belief, new bike lanes hardly take any space away from cars at all. (Momentum Mag)
"The Naked Gun" and other movies featuring sendups of autonomous vehicles show that car culture is all about control. (The Urban Condition)
The California legislature passed a bill allowing up to nine-story residential buildings near transit stops. (Los Angeles Times)
Baltimore broke its record for e-bike and scooter rentals in August with almost 400,000 trips. (MSN/Sun)
Charlotte is responding to the furor over last month's light rail stabbing death by putting more police on trains. (NPR)
Two weeks of chaos in Philadelphia gave Illinois legislators a sneak peek at what Chicago might face if they don't decide on a transit funding plan. (Sun-Times)
Sound Transit is looking at ways to cut costs on the West Seattle Link Extension. (West Seattle Blog)
Huntsville received a $22 million federal grant for bike lanes and pedestrian improvements in the Medical District. (AL.com)
Crashes in Kalamazoo are on pace to decline 9% over last year, which had the fewest in the past decade. (MLive)
Cargo bike usage in London doubled between 2022 and 2024. (Zag Daily)
After Liberals surprisingly won the most recent election, Canada is fast-tracking a bullet train between Toronto and Quebec City. (High Speed)
Outgoing Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante looks back on a successful tenure making the city greener and friendlier to cyclists. (CBC)
Bern, Switzerland has a great transit system, even in agricultural areas. (Human Transit)