Which of Wednesday’s Headlines Came First?

A lot of Americans don't love driving, but really don't have much of a choice.

By Blake Aued

12:01 AM EST on December 17, 2025

It doesn’t have to be this way.

|Original Photo: Sierra Club

Which came first, Americans' dependence on cars or a car-dependent America? A recent Arizona State survey found that 40 percent of U.S. car owners are interested in going car-free, in addition to the 10 percent already living without a car. According to Jarrett Walker, if the infrastructure were there to convince even a fraction to follow through, it could be transformational. (Human Transit)
How much do your city's downtown highways cost the local economy? (Streetsblog USA)
A federal lawsuit joined by 21 states and the District of Columbia accuses Uber of signing up users for a subscription service without permission and making it too hard to cancel. (The Verge)
The Brookings Institute has a five-part series on why California has struggled to limit driving and encourage infill development.
It may seem ridiculous that the Twin Cities' Metro Transit is taking a year to test trains for the Green Line extension, but there's a list of 1,500 safety items that need to be checked off. (MinnPost)
Waymo robotaxis are for the wealthy few. Everyone else in the Bay Area should be supporting better public transit. (San Francisco Examiner)
In the wake of two high-profile light rail stabbings, the Charlotte Area Transit System is spending more than $3 million on public relations and marketing. (Observer)
The Chicago Transit Authority met the deadline to submit a security plan the Trump administration demanded under threat of losing federal funding. (WGN)
San Diego seems OK with car-centric planning that leads to dead children. (Planetizen)
Seattle's six-lane Ranier Avenue is out of place in a city that strives for great transit and walking and biking infrastructure. (The Urbanist)
Maryland doesn't consider air pollution's impact on health or climate change when designing roads. (Maryland Matters)
Dublin, Ohio, grew from a small town to a sprawling suburb of Columbus, and is now building a walkable city center with input from residents. (Yale Climate Connections)
Montreal to Ottawa has been chosen as the first leg of Canada's first high-speed rail line. (CBC)
Labour's transport minister says the previous Tory government pitted drivers against everyone else, making UK roads less safe, and announced 600 million pounds for walking and biking projects. (The Guardian)