Thursday’s Headlines See Trouble Ahead, Trouble Behind

Yes, it's political, but transit agencies are still going to have to grapple with the perception that it's unsafe.

By Blake Aued

12:01 AM EST on December 11, 2025

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

|Brandon Dolley

Safety aboard transit continues to be a national issue, with Charlotte light rail users reporting they're uneasy aboard trains (WBTV) after a man who'd entered the U.S. illegally, had been banned from CATS previously and was drinking stabbed another passenger (WCCB). While it's fodder for President Trump's anti-transit, anti-urban and anti-immigrant agenda, amplified by right-wing media, even the perception that transit is unsafe is a real problem. A recent study of five cities found that increasingly visible drug use is discouraging transit ridership (Smart Cities Dive).
- The Trump administration is leveraging this fear. In addition to threats against New York City, Pennsylvania, Charlotte and Chicago, the Jacksonville Transit Authority is now suing the transit union, alleging that its failure to accept a Federal Transit Administration safety plan is jeopardizing $100 million in federal funding. (Jax Today)
Daylighting intersections to ensure driver and pedestrian visibility doesn't have to be a one-size-fits-all solution. (Vital City)
The FTA released a new "playbook" on how to handle major events. (Passenger Transport)
Northeastern states had a cap-and-trade agreement to limit greenhouse gas emissions, and now Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro is under fire from progressives for withdrawing as part of a budget deal with Republican legislators. (Mother Jones)
Voters in four cities will decide in May whether to withdraw from Dallas Area Rapid Transit. They probably won't like the disjointed microtransit systems that would replace DART. (D Magazine)
Most members of the Twin Cities' Met Council rarely ride transit. (Star Tribune)
The Virginia DOT should consider bike and bus lanes on six-lane Langston Boulevard in Arlington. (Greater Greater Washington)
Battle lines are drawn in Portland on the issue of 82nd Street bus lanes. (BikePortland)
Delivery robots are taking over Chicago sidewalks. (Block Club)
Velo bikeshare numbers hit an all-time high in Rochester and Syracuse. (Spectrum News)