Tuesday’s Weaponized Headlines
The Trump administration's authoritarianism extends to transportation.
By
Blake Aued
12:01 AM EST on February 3, 2026
- Federal transportation policy is usually nonpartisan. The Trump administration, though, has used the DOT and the threat of withholding grants to bully blue cities. (The New Republic)
- Smart Cities Dive interviewed politicians and other stakeholders about their priorities for the next five-year transportation funding bill. Transportation for America breaks down what’s in the current version of bill.
- When the World Cup starts, international visitors will get a first-hand look at America’s dilapidated infrastructure. (Politico)
- Fast Company explains Complete Streets.
- In 1911, Kansas City became the first city to criminalize jaywalking, kicking off a century of designing roads for cars instead of people. (KCUR)
- Waymo could be bringing robotaxis to Portland next. (Willamette Week)
- The Portland Bureau of Transportation is looking for new sources of revenue like delivery fees (BikePortland). Virginia is also considering delivery fees to help fund transportation, but companies like Amazon are fighting back (E&E News).
- Alexandria endorsed a plan for Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C. to boost Metro funding by $460 million. (ALXnow)
- Unplowed icy sidewalks left Charlottesville pedestrians stranded. (Tomorrow)
- Cyclists used the protected bike lanes on 30th Street in San Diego more than 130,000 times last year. (Times of San Diego)
- A New Hampshire lawmaker dropped a proposal for a $50 bike user fee. (Bicycle Retailer)
- Vision Zero projects are starting to bring down traffic deaths in Phoenix. (KOLD)
- More than 80 percent of residents in nine European cities support expanding transit and rail networks. (Cities Today)
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:
Streetsblog has migrated to a new comment system. New commenters can register directly in the comments section of any article. Returning commenters: your previous comments and display name have been preserved, but you'll need to reclaim your account by clicking "Forgot your password?" on the sign-in form, entering your email, and following the verification link to set a new password — this is required because passwords could not be carried over during the migration. For questions, contact tips@streetsblog.org.
More from Streetsblog USA
Speed Ills! Reckless Driving on the Rise in Car Ads, Study Shows
Car commercials featuring unsafe driving are rising — as are crash fatalities linked to speeding. Hmm.
May 12, 2026
Not For Granite: New Hampshire Man Isn’t Laughing At Anti-Cyclist Comments From State Elected Official
A voter sent this letter to state Rep. Thomas Walsh, but he speaks for all of us.
May 12, 2026
Tuesday’s Headlines Have a Side Hustle
Sean Duffy goes back to his roots with a new reality TV show.
May 12, 2026
Congress Gave States Enough Money to Fix Every Road in America; Some States Set It On Fire Instead
Every year, politicians pledge to fix our "crumbling roads and bridges." Even when we give them enough money to do it, they don't.
May 11, 2026
Monday’s Headlines Should Be Obvious
Solutions for traffic proposed by experts will probably come as no surprise to most Streetsblog readers.
May 11, 2026