Wednesday’s Headlines Will Tax Your Patience

RIP electric vehicle tax credits, the Trump administration's latest assault on transit, and more.

By Blake Aued

12:01 AM EDT on October 1, 2025

PxFuel, CC

The federal tax credit for electric vehicle purchases has expired, which could cause a temporary dip in sales but also force automakers to make better products in the long run (The Verge). But at least for a few months, Ford and GM are taking advantage of a loophole to offer cheap leases (Car and Driver).
Data from smartphones and connected cars can help traffic engineers predict where crashes will happen, not just react after the fact. (Smart Cities Dive)
After months of Republican complaints about a supposed crime wave on transit, culminating in Congressional hearings on a Charlotte light rail stabbing (Axios), the Trump administration is essentially defunding the New York City subway police (Streetsblog NYC)
In addition to crime fears, concerns about gentrification could kill an upcoming Charlotte transit referendum. (Observer)
It took a month, but Oregon Democrats finally passed a transportation bill that funds transit along a party-line vote. (Oregonian)
Drivers have killed a record eight cyclists in Indianapolis already this year. (WTHR)
Pittsburgh added a protected bike, wider crosswalks and other improvements to a medical school campus where drivers killed two pedestrians within the past year. (Union Progress)
Denver is now requiring residential parking permits in some neighborhoods. (Denverite)
Stockholm is using pop-ups to make streets temporarily car-free, hoping to avoid the backlash that plagued pedestrianization projects in cities like London and Brussels. (Politico)
Australians are salvaging used EV batteries from junkyards and repurposing them for solar power storage and other uses. (The Guardian)
In Japan, drivers go when the light turns a unique shade of bluish green because the Japanese word for "blue" can also refer to green. (Jalopnik)