Tuesday’s Headlines Get Out of the Way
The NHTSA is tired of self-driving cars blocking emergency responders.
By
Blake Aued
12:01 AM EDT on July 14, 2026
- Self-driving cars frequently wander into scenes of emergencies and block ambulances, fire trucks and other first responders, which the head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently told manufacturers is “unacceptable.” (Wired, Jalopnik)
- The EPA is proposing to loosen the Biden administration’s stricter limits on emissions from tractor-trailers and other heavy-duty trucks. (New York Times)
- Climate activist Bill McKibben quotes Streetsblog in arguing that e-bikes could revolutionize transportation. (The Crucial Years)
- A new study links a chemical in particles from tire wear to Alzheimer’s. (Futurism)
- New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Gov. Kathy Hochul have agreed on a plan to speed up buses and reduce fares. (Smart Cities Dive)
- Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro signed a compromise budget that once again does not include long-term funding for transit. (WHYY)
- Funding transit expansion in Miami could require a tax hike. (WLRN)
- The Texas DOT continues to push for commuter rail between Austin and San Antonio. (Planetizen)
- An ahead-of-his-time Dallas developer built a transit-oriented development years before light rail even arrived. (CNU Public Square)
- St. Petersburg is removing parking from Central Avenue to make room for wider sidewalks. (Bay News 9)
- A $25 million federal grant will improve bus service and pedestrian safety on Detroit’s Gratiot Avenue. (Michigan Chronicle)
- Portland uses “half signals” that change to red when a pedestrian or cyclist wants to cross. (NACTO)
- A few daredevil teens are ruining e-bikes for the rest of Charlotte. (WFAE)
- WALL-E-style robots are wandering the sidewalks of Hoboken collecting data to improve ADA accessibility. (CBS News)
- The 51st has a guide for those who want to bike around Washington, D.C. but feel a bit nervous about it.
- Some cities are using speed limits with fractions in hopes of getting drivers’ attention. (Slashgear)
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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