Tuesday’s Headlines Don’t Need a Tank
Every 1,000 pounds of a car's weight increases the fatality rate by 40 percent.
By
Blake Aued
12:01 AM EDT on July 21, 2026
- The average car nowadays weights nearly 4,400 pounds, which makes them less fuel efficient and more likely to kill or injure a cyclist or pedestrian, and the extra weight does little to protect those inside (Jalopnik). If that weren’t bad enough, some affluent drivers are paying to add hundreds of pounds of bulletproof armor to their vehicles (New York Times).
- A new study found that car-free streets reduce noise and air pollution by 40 percent. (The Conversation)
- Electric vehicle sales in the U.S. fell by 24 percent in the first half of 2026, after the Trump administration eliminated subsidies. Meanwhile, sales of hybrids are up. (Inside Climate News)
- Delivery trucks are the biggest violators of a Chicago law against blocking bike and bus lanes. (Tribune)
- Instead of eliminating Denver’s popular and free 16th Street shuttle, maybe Colorado leaders should redirect some of the subsidies they shower on drivers toward mass transit. (Colorado Sun)
- Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine is exploring Amtrak expansion, but he’s leaving office at the end of the year. Democrat Amy Acton supports rail broadly, Libertarian Don Kissick opposes it, and Republican Vivek Ramaswamy hasn’t stated a position. (Lima News)
- Uber and Lyft are on opposite sides of a bill to allow robotaxis in Washington, D.C. (Tech Crunch)
- Will Oregon ever catch up with neighbors Washington and California on zoning reform and transit-oriented development? (Sightline Institute)
- Nampa, Idaho recently voted to eliminate transit service. (Idaho Statesman)
- Amtrak is offering nighttime fares as low as $10 in the Northeast Corridor. (Planetizen)
- Public art makes streets safer and inspires civic engagement. (National League of Cities)
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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