Thursday’s Headlines Won Big

It was a good day for transit on Election Day Tuesday.

By Blake Aued

12:25 AM EST on November 6, 2025

Charlotte’s is the latest transit system to draw President Trump’s ire.

|Brandon Dolley

Charlotte voters approved a transportation referendum on Tuesday to fund roads, bike lanes, sidewalks, buses and rail (WFAE). And in New York City Zohran Mamdani, who promised fare-free buses, won the mayor's race (CBS News).
Federal Transit Administration head Marc Molinaro wrote an op-ed for the New York Daily News assailing Mamdani's bus policy.
Expect the nationwide shortage of bus drivers to get worse, as the Trump administration has banned people lacking permanent U.S. residency from holding commercial drivers' licenses. (KPCW)
A federal judge ruled that the Trump administration can't withhold transportation funding from states that don't cooperate on enforcing immigration laws. (Politico)
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy accused Philadelphia transit agency SEPTA of being dangerous and mismanaged. (Axios)
Waymo is expanding its robotaxi businesses into Las Vegas, San Diego and Detroit. (CNet)
Electrifying Southern California trains would allow Metrolink to reduce travel times, increase frequency and better integrate with high-speed rail and the Brightline. (The Urban Condition)
The Florida DOT's removal of a Sunrunner bus-only lane may have violated state law. (Florida Politics)
The Metro Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority installed new fare gates with contactless payment. (Urbanize Atlanta)
Portugal and Spain have agreed to build high-speed rail between Lisbon and Madrid by 2034. (Euronews)
Medellin's Metrocable has helped lift the former home of Pablo Escobar's drug cartel out of crime and poverty. (NextCity)