Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
Today's Headlines

Thursday’s Headlines Take Off the Mask

From a transportation perspective, the Trump administration is no longer pretending it's interested in anyone other than motorists.

  • The Trump administration is eliminating grants for transportation projects it deems "hostile" to cars, such as intersection improvements in Boston, where federal officials prefer to keep the "current auto-centric configuration" rather than one that would "impede vehicle capacity and speed." (Governing) The latest round of clawbacks is even more brazenly anti-walking and biking than before (Streetsblog USA).
  • The U.S. DOT is also defunding programs that help small and minority-owned businesses compete for federal contracts. (Politico)
  • The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration delayed plans to implement new rules including measures in vehicle safety ratings that protect pedestrians from car crashes. (Jalopnik)
  • Crashes involving bikes are down in D.C., but safe biking infrastructure is still distributed unequally. (Greater Greater Washington)
  • Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson's proposed budget includes a $10 hike for vehicle registration fees, but at least one alderman would rather cut $4 million for the streetcar. (WISN)
  • North Carolina Republicans want to bring back the death penalty in response to the recent fatal light rail stabbing in Charlotte. (WXII)
  • The St. Louis MetroLink is scrapping plans for a new rail line and pivoting to bus rapid transit instead. (KSDK)
  • Ridership on the Twin Cities' Gold Line has fallen short of projections, but those who do use it are grateful it was built. (KSTP)
  • Montgomery County, Maryland is adding more than 200 cameras to catch drivers who speed or run red lights. (The MoCo Show)
  • After crusading against bike lanes, Ontario Premier Doug Ford is now turning his ire toward municipal speed cameras. (Toronto Star; paywall)
  • Lime is funding 930 new e-bike parking bays in London. (Zag Daily)

Stay 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.

January 9, 2026

Friday’s Headlines Are Unsustainably Expensive

To paraphrase former New York City mayoral candidate Jimmy McMillan, the car payment is too damn high.

January 9, 2026

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.

January 8, 2026

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.

January 8, 2026

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.

January 8, 2026

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.

January 8, 2026
See all posts