Monday’s Headlines Enjoyed the Fireworks
Get ready for more if autonomous vehicles ever become ubiquitous.
By
Blake Aued
12:01 AM EDT on July 6, 2026
- A new paper by professors from Brandeis and Cornell predicts that autonomous vehicles, if widely adopted, will increase congestion, create more sprawl and cut into transit ridership (Changing Lanes). There are also potential benefits, but those are not guaranteed, according to the Eno Center for Transportation.
- Further proof that AVs aren’t ready for prime time came recently when a Texas man was charged with manslaughter after his Tesla on autopilot crashed into a house and killed a woman (New York Times).
- Local police in Georgia are helping ICE by pulling over “work vans” that carry immigrants to job sites. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution; paywall)
- A Washington state program that uses trailer-mounted cameras to catch speeders in work zones has caught 85,000 infractions in three months. The state started fining first-time offenders last week. (Government Technology)
- A new report found mixed results for the D.C. Metro’s “Better Bus Program” that nixed some routes in favor of increased service on busy lines. (City Paper)
- Will the D.C. Metro have a new bus rapid transit line ready for Commanders fans when the new RFK Stadium opens in 2030? (WUSA)
- Early alarms, frequent stops and unruly passengers make the L.A. Metro hard to use for college students, but the free passes do save them money. (Cal Matters)
- Suburban homeowners who are liberal but most likely drive will determine the future of Bay Area transit in a November funding referendum. (San Francisco Standard)
- Portland’s TriMet is cutting paratransit service for disabled riders in half. (Oregonian)
- The U.S. DOT signed off on a new I-5 bridge connecting Portland and Vancouver, Washington, including light rail. (The Columbian)
- The Seattle Streets Alliance wants the city to daylight every intersection, install truck guards and review every project for compliance with Vision Zero. (Seattle Bike Blog)
- Denver taking over sidewalk repairs from property owners is an example for other cities. (The Conversation)
- Payne Avenue in downtown Cleveland is getting protected bike lanes. (Plain Dealer)
- A company that’s building an automated parking garage in Raleigh is looking at building more garages in other cities specifically for autonomous vehicles. (WRAL)
- Austin’s first car-free affordable community opened, where condo buyers will receive mobility credits and free transit passes from the city. (Planetizen)
- Texas cities that were forced to remove their LGBTQ Pride crosswalks are turning to a rainbow of alternatives, like murals, painted sidewalks and wraps around streetlights. (Tribune)
- And to think, we used to like Paul Pelosi. (ABC News)
- Volunteers recreated Pittsburgh’s “Spirit of ’76” streetcar from the nation’s bicentennial. (Pittsburgh Magazine)
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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