The State of Friday’s Headlines

Transit agencies from Rhode Island to San Francisco are facing budget shortfalls as a variety of factors create a perfect storm.

By Blake Aued

12:02 AM EDT on September 26, 2025

A TriMet bus in 2021.

|Steve Morgan

As the Biden administration's pandemic funds run out, and tariffs, inflation and declining gas tax revenue take their toll on transportation buses, cities and states are struggling to maintain roads and fund transit. For example, Oregon's TriMet is eliminating eight bus lines. (Stateline)
The price of used electric vehicles is falling fast and is now about the same as internal combustion models, even without government subsidies. (Grist)
Greater Greater Washington invited D.C. officials to participate in the annual "Week Without Driving" starting Monday.
St. Louis is pivoting from light rail to bus rapid transit for the MetroLink Green Line. (St. Louis Public Radio)
Will TriMet back down on 82th Avenue bus lanes after pushback from businesses? Seventy percent of the public want them. (BikePortland)
Portland speed cameras have been shut down for three months while the city seeks a new vendor. (Oregonian)
In a city where the bike network is far from complete (CBS News), Atlanta residents built their own pop-up bike lane for just $10,000 (NextCity).
Waco is creating a nine-mile "smart corridor" using AI sensors to make intersections safer and more efficient. (Government Technology)
Raleigh will start using the articulated buses it already bought for a BRT line, even though the project has been delayed until 2030. (News & Observer)
Kansas City is planning multiple events next month to celebrate the opening of the Main Street streetcar extension. (KCUR)
Uber Eats, which recently started delivering shoes and makeup in addition to food, will start using flying drones to drop those items on doorsteps. (TheStreet)