Friday’s Headlines Are Still Dangerous
We're seeing a "regression to the mean" after a brief dip in pedestrian deaths.
By
Blake Aued
12:01 AM EDT on June 12, 2026
- Smart Growth America’s latest “Deadly by Design” report highlights the fact that pedestrian deaths in the U.S. are still up 72 percent since 2009, despite the head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration declaring that “American roads are safer.” Drivers killed more than 39,000 people in the U.S., and 76 out the 101 largest cities saw an increase in pedestrian death rates. (Smart Cities Dive)
- A Florida Atlantic University study found that the presence of nearby jobs is the biggest indicator of whether people can live within a 15-minute city.
- Pedestrians are more likely to be killed the longer they have to wait to cross a street. (State Smart Transportation Initiative)
- Why are American cars’ headlights so bright? (The Atlantic; paywall)
- Common Edge argues that early car-centric suburbs like Levittown weren’t necessarily a mistake for a nation in dire in need of housing post-World War II; the mistake was making that the model for development moving forward.
- Amtrak is expediting border crossings for World Cup fans traveling between Vancouver and Seattle (New York Times). Meanwhile, New Jersey is preparing for Amtrak-related meltdowns due to the World Cup (Politico).
- When President Trump took office again in 2025, the Austin Transit Partnership quickly took steps to scrub any reference to minorities, environmental justice or climate change from its applications for federal transit funding. (Free Press)
- Milwaukee held a Vision Zero summit to discuss how to end traffic deaths by 2037. (Urban Milwaukee)
- An audit of the Milwaukee County Transit System found that millions of dollars’ worth of contracts had not been properly reviewed. (Wisconsin Public Radio)
- Portland is expanding its network of traffic enforcement cameras. (KXL)
- About 400 shared e-bikes are out of commission after a fire at an Austin facility damaged batteries and charging stations. (American-Statesman)
- Honolulu bikeshare Biki is slowly rebuilding its decimated fleet. (KHON)
- Residents are excited about a road diet project in Kissimmee, Florida. (Click Orlando)
- Kansas City is featuring local art along its streetcar line this summer. (Star)
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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