Wednesday’s Headlines Have a Clean Background
Uber isn't doing everything it can to keep violent felons out of the driver's seat, according to the New York Times.
By
Blake Aued
12:01 AM EST on December 24, 2025
- In an effort to get prospective drivers onto the app faster, Uber often doesn’t conduct background checks for some violent crimes or look to deeply into their pasts. This is reflected in lawsuits women have filed against the company accusing drivers of sexual assault. (New York Times)
- Redditors think the seats on Amtrak’s next-gen Acela trains are uncomfortable.
- The effects of congestion pricing in New York City are especially helpful for people with disabilities. (Daily News)
- Like transit, ridership numbers in Portland for ride-hailing services and taxis still haven’t recovered from the pandemic. (The Oregonian)
- Portland traffic deaths have fallen drastically over the past two years, from 69 in 2023 to 39 this year. Officials attribute the decline to reduced speed limits and more traffic enforcement cameras. (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
- Fearing political backlash, some Oregon Democrats are now considering joining Republicans in repealing a recently approved gas-tax hike. (Willamette Week)
- The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority is the latest transit agency to face a steep fiscal cliff. (Plain Dealer)
- Cyclists now make up 11 percent of the traffic on Boston’s Bolyston Avenue since protected bike lanes were installed. (WBZ)
- The Mount Washington transit tunnel in Pittsburgh is set to reopen Christmas Day. (CBS News)
- New fares for Lime’s bikeshare in Seattle make it much more cost-effective for short rides. (Seattle Bike Blog)
- Madison keeps delaying Midvale Avenue bike lanes in the face of neighborhood opposition over the loss of parking. (Cap Times)
- A car-free zone in Brussels has proven immensely popular, but officials made one mistake in creating it — not including dedicated bike lanes. (The Guardian)
- Chinese tech giant Baidu is bringing robotaxis to the U.K. in partnership with Uber and Lyft. (CNBC)
Blake Aued has been doing Streetsblog's daily national news digest for years. He's also an Atlanta Braves fan, which enrages his editor in New York.
Read More:
More from Streetsblog USA
Why Cities Need More ‘Agile’ Streets
When projects are routed through a full capital-improvement workflow, solutions tend toward expensive, permanent interventions — not alternatives that might achieve 80 percent of the benefit at 10 percent of the cost.
March 26, 2026
Wednesday’s Headlines Feel Pain at the Pump
High gas prices are likely to persist, and people will be driving less in response.
March 25, 2026
D.C. Advocates Sue To Save Key Bike Lane From Trump Teardown
We previously reported that the Trump administration might soon move to dismantle key cycle tracks in the nation's capital. Unfortunately, we were right.
March 24, 2026
How a ‘Universal Basic Neighborhood’ Can Help Americans Live Longer
Want to increase your chances of living to 80? A new paper argues we need to start with our neighborhoods — and we need to do it for everybody.
March 24, 2026
Tuesday’s Headlines Keep Our Eyes on the Road
How much responsibility do tech companies bear for traffic deaths caused by distracted driving?
March 24, 2026
Comments Are Temporarily Disabled
Streetsblog is in the process of migrating our commenting system. During this transition, commenting is temporarily unavailable.
Once the migration is complete, you will be able to log back in and will have full access to your comment history. We appreciate your patience and look forward to having you back in the conversation soon.