Wednesday’s Headlines Are Graded on a Curve

Maybe one reason the U.S. has so many traffic deaths is that it's so easy to get a driver's license compared to other countries.

By Blake Aued

12:01 AM EST on November 12, 2025

Anastasija Vujic, CC

The U.S. is one of the easiest countries in the world to get a driver's license in. Only 35 percent of applicants pass Japan's test. France requires 3,000 kilometers of supervised driving. In Croatia, drivers must pass medical, sight and psychological exams. (Jalopnik)
What's the difference between e-bikes, scooters and mopeds? Most people don't know, so Lloyd Alter argues that regulations need to be simplified — vehicles that require pedaling are allowed in bike lanes, and fully motorized ones are not. (Carbon Upfront!)
Sprawl might solve a city's housing problem in the short run, but in the long run California's approach of transit-oriented development is better. (Governing)
People profiled Amy Cohen, a Brooklyn woman who started the advocacy group Families for Safe Streets after a van driver killed her young son.
Even the highway-happy Texas DOT now admits that the state can't pave its way out of congestion, and needs intercity rail as well as more walking and biking options to accommodate a rapidly growing population. (Texas Tribune)
A former freeway viaduct in Seattle is now a waterfront linear park that serves as the city's "front door." (CityLab)
Oregon Gov. Tina Kopek finally signed an emergency transportation funding package. (KPTV)
A family that owns dozens of Tampa parking lots is turning one into a mixed-use development. (Tampa Bay Times)
Tempe is considering raising parking rates to keep the Sun Link streetcar fare-free. (Luminaria)
The Hawaii DOT announced a new pedestrian, bike and transit initiative. (Big Island Now)
Vision Zero North Dakota will hold a memorial for victims of traffic violence. (KX News)
Wyoming's last streetcar is being restored by a community group. (Sheridan Press)