The Cup Runneth Over With Thursday’s Headlines
Density lends itself to an abundance of transportation options and an abundance of money saved by not driving, writes David Zipper.
By
Blake Aued
12:01 AM EST on January 29, 2026
- To achieve “abundance,” Americans need to embrace density. While housing costs in big cities like New York may be exorbitant, residents save money on transportation compared to sprawling, car-centric regions. (CityLab)
- Federal intercity passenger rail funding should be more predictable, according to the Eno Center for Transportation.
- The number of huge American-style trucks on UK roads has almost doubled in the past decade. (The Guardian)
- Uber is providing data to AV companies to help train their models, as opposed to investing money in robotaxis themselves. (TechCrunch)
- Work on the Gateway Tunnel under the Hudson River, which would speed up passenger rail service all along the East Coast, will stop at the end of next week if the Trump administration follows through on its promise to suspend funding. (Reuters)
- President Trump is considering capping state gas taxes, particularly California’s. (Fox Business)
- Traffic deaths in Charlotte are down, but serious injuries from crashes are up. (Observer)
- Democratic Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs told the Phoenix City Council to ignore Republican state lawmakers’ threats to derail a light rail extension in the capital city. (KJZZ)
- Could Texas cities elect a Zohran Mamdani type of politician? (Observer)
- In building a new bus rapid transit line, an Indianapolis work crew dug up the remnants of an old streetcar line that had been buried in the 1950s. (Indy Mirror)
- Portland Mayor Keith Wilson wants to restore the city’s status as the nation’s cycling leader. (BikePortland)
- Seattle is building new bikeways around the Space Needle for World Cup tourists. (Seattle Times)
- Even small cities like Erie, Pennsylvania can make their infrastructure safer. (Leader)
- Here’s how Hoboken achieved Vision Zero for nine straight years. (Reasons to Be Cheerful)
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.
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