Wednesday’s Headlines Aren’t All the Way Back
Transit ridership is still down from the pandemic, but high gas prices and more transit-oriented development could help.
By
Blake Aued
12:01 AM EDT on May 20, 2026
- Transit agencies still haven’t fully recovered from the pandemic. In 2024 ridership was just 78% of 2019 levels, and only six of 31 commuter rail systems had matched their pre-COVID numbers. (Eno Center for Transportation)
- Building more transit-oriented development is one way out of the death spiral. (Transportation for America)
- High gas prices are bringing people back to public transit — at least, the ones in places with good enough transit that not driving is an option. (Grist)
- Unlike a lot of cities overseas, it’s tough to kick the car habit in the U.S. (Common Edge)
- The Trump administration is putting parking for White House staff on a pedestrianized portion of Pennsylvania Avenue. (CNN)
- Speakers at a recent conference on high-speed rail emphasized that building a national network will require a national vision. (Railway Age)
- Charging fees on delivery robots could help cities pay for sidewalk repairs. (Next City)
- Amazon’s new e-cargo bikes, now being deployed in Washington, D.C., are almost the size of a van. (Electrek)
- A driver in Oakland who drove onto a sidewalk killed three people and injured three more (ABC 30). And in New York City, a suspected drunk driver set off a cascade of crashes that wound up killing two men sitting in front of a barber shop (NY Post).
- Kansas City’s streetcar is not just an economic development tool; it fills an actual transportation need, carrying a third of the city’s transit riders (Governing). Its latest extension opened on Monday (KCUR).
- Cleveland is converting vacant industrial land along a freight rail line into a mixed-use community and greenway. (Cleveland Magazine)
- The D.C. Metro’s CEO is trying to flatter President Trump into funding the Gold Line. (Axios)
- Milwaukee’s Bublr Bikes is expanding. (TMJ 4)
- Richmond temporarily stopped issuing tickets for parking in bike lanes due to driver backlash. (Axios)
- Portland, Maine selected a firm to develop a new long-range transportation plan. (Maine Wire)
- The World Naked Bike Ride may be coming to a city near you this summer. (Momentum)
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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