Wednesday’s Headlines Have Seen the Light

One year later, data shows congestion pricing in New York City has been an unqualified success.

By Blake Aued

12:01 AM EST on January 7, 2026

Congestion pricing cameras on 9th Avenue in Manhattan.

|Jim Henderson

Congestion pricing has kept 27 million cars from entering lower Manhattan since it took effect one year ago. As a result, transit ridership is up, buses move faster, noise complaints are down, and so are serious injuries from crashes. (New York Times; Streetsblog NYC)
E-scooters improve mobility, but not health, at least not compared to walking or biking. Users risk injury from crashes, and also get less exercise than pedestrians or cyclists, harming their long-term health. (CiTTi Magazine)
Higher density is an unpopular idea in many parts of the U.S., but it doesn't always have to mean people piled on top of each other. (The Corner Side Yard)
If the U.S. weren't so dependent on oil for transportation, among other things, we wouldn't be attacking Venezuela. (Inside EVs)
Urban planner Jeff Speck talks about how he popularized the term "walkability," bringing walkability to the suburbs and other topics. (Urban Land)
Some North Texas suburbs are rebelling against Dallas Area Rapid Transit at a time when state transportation officials are finally acknowledging they can't continue trying to pave their way out of congestion. (Texas Tribune)
Minnesota's Northstar commuter rail line shut down last Sunday due to disappointing ridership numbers. (Star Tribune)
Little Rock transit ridership rose 2.3 percent last year, but remains below pre-pandemic levels. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)
Twenty-five years after adopting a New Urbanist zoning code, much of Sarasota remains dangerous and inaccessible for anyone outside a car. (Sarasota Magazine)
London is experiencing a biking boom, but the safety infrastructure in the rest of Britain isn't yet up to par. (The Guardian)
China is aiming to build 60,000 kilometers of new high-speed rail lines by 2030. (Business Standard)
Retail is turning Toronto's Union Station into a true mixed-use hub. (Brandon Donnelly)