Friday’s Headlines Shut It Down

The government shutdown looks like it will be just another excuse for the Trump administration to cancel transportation projects unless blue states bend the knee.

By Blake Aued

12:01 AM EDT on October 3, 2025

Paul Brennan, CC

Why don't Democrats pass a "clean CR," or continuing resolution, to keep the federal government open? It would allow the Trump administration to continue canceling or delaying grants that don't align with its priorities, according to Transportation for America. But shutdowns mainly affect aviation.
- There's at least one exception: The USDOT has cited the shutdown and supposed discrimination against white men as reasons to withhold $18 billion from New York (Roll Call). This "culture war temper tantrum," as Streetsblog NYC calls it, primarily affects the Hudson River tunnel and the Second Avenue subway.
Rebates for electric vehicles are gone, but the federal government is still subsidizing gas-powered vehicles to the tune of $20,000 each. (Electrek)
As Congress considers next year's surface transportation authorization bill, it can help solve the nationwide housing shortage at the same time by funding transit and encouraging transit-oriented development. (Brookings Institute)
Keen on America interviews Henrietta Moore and Arthur Kay, the authors of "Roadkill," a book about how cars have killed more people than both world wars combined.
A Philadelphia city council member alarmed cyclists and traffic safety advocates by holding up a bike lane project near City Hall. (Billy Penn)
The National Transportation Safety Board issued a warning to Philadelphia transit agency SEPTA after a series of fires on railcars. (WHYY)
Tucker Avenue in St. Louis is getting a two-way cycle track and other safety improvements. (Post-Dispatch)
The Seattle DOT giveth, and the Seattle DOT taketh away: It's adding a new bike and pedestrian path connecting Georgetown and South Park (South Seattle Emerald) while also removing bus and bike infrastructure from the downtown area because it's apparently too confusing for drivers (Capitol Hill Seattle).
Portland Mayor Keith Wilson is encouraging people to drive downtown by halting evening parking enforcement. (Oregonian)
Kansas City streetcar construction workers have filed a lawsuit against a contractor they allege employed a foreman who was a member of the white nationalist Proud Boys, and subjected them to racial and ethnic slurs. (Star)
What should Omaha's new streetcar look like? (WOWT)
Kansas City is welcoming Missouri native Chappell Roan's tour to town this weekend with a "Pink Pony Express" streetcar wrap. (KSHB)