Monday’s Headlines Should Wean Themselves Off Fossil Fuels
Even people who don't drive wind up paying when oil prices spike.
By
Blake Aued
12:01 AM EDT on April 20, 2026
- The U.S. is so reliant on diesel fuel for shipping that Iran closing the Straight of Hormuz has cost Americans $71 per household, even if they don’t drive a diesel car. (Grist)
- High gas prices and increased fuel efficiency mean drivers are burning less gas. (Marketplace)
- Deregulation led to the long, slow unraveling of the intercity bus system. (The Nation)
- Almost half of people surveyed said they would never use a robotaxi even if it were 100 percent safe. (The Verge)
- The lack of transit and rail infrastructure serving stadiums in Boston and New Jersey will cost World Cup ticket holders dearly to fund security measures FIFA is requiring but not paying for (Defector). New Jersey Transit recently announced that the cost of a trip from Manhattan to MetLife Stadium will be $80 to $150 (NY Times).
- After voters narrowly rejected a safe-streets tax levy last April, Tacoma will try again with a scaled-back $200 million measure. (The Urbanist)
- Hundreds of Seattle residents marched to save the Ballard Light Rail Extension. (KING)
- Austin used parking revenue to build a new sidewalk. (KXAN)
- Louisville put a sidewalk between a street and a bike lane as protection, then had to paint it green so pedestrians would stop tripping. (WAVE)
- Speeding spiked in Ottawa when the Ontario government removed enforcement cameras. (Global News)
- Electric buses and trains in the Australian province of New South Wales will run solely on renewable energy. (City Hub)
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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