Thursday’s Headlines Shoot for the Moon

What if the U.S. spent anything near what it spends on highways on transit instead?

By Blake Aued

12:01 AM EST on January 15, 2026

Be the change you want to see in the world.

Transportation for America presented its "moonshot" vision for world-class transit in the U.S. just as ambitious as the interstate highway system. It calls for a $4.6 trillion investment over 20 years — not so crazy, compared to typical levels of road spending — to triple the number of transit vehicles and create 7,500 miles of new dedicated infrastructure in cities small and large alike.
That's particularly important for America to compete with peer cities around the world, which are delivering transit at five times the level of the average US metro. (Streetsblog USA)
By prioritizing the needs of children and their caregivers, planners can make streets safer for everyone. (Arch Daily)
Despite strides in battery technology and charging networks, range anxiety remains the main reason why Americans are hesitant toward electric vehicles. (Inside EVs)
Sound Transit is going to have to take a structural approach to addressing its $35 billion long-range deficit. Cutting individual Seattle capital projects, well, just won't cut it. (The Urbanist)
The L.A. Metro has a new public safety department that will not only conduct law enforcement, but connect the homeless to services, de-escalate conflicts and assist riders with wayfinding. (Sentinel)
Violent crime is already falling on Chicago transit even as the Trump administration pressures the CTA to crack down further. (CBS News)
A trial in Phoenix that started this week will test Uber's claim of immunity for sexual assaults committed by drivers. (USA Today)
The Atlanta streetcar, shut down since September for utility work, will reopen next month. (Atlanta News First)
The famed French mathematician Blaise Pascal launched Paris' first fixed route transit system in the 17th century, but it didn't scale because, then as now, the elites didn't like riding with commoners. When parliament restricted the system to "persons of merit," it lead to a death spiral of falling usage and rising fares. (France Today)