Monday’s Headlines Still Aren’t Safe
Despite recent progress, the U.S. has been lagging behind other developed nations on road safety for decades.
By
Blake Aued
12:01 AM EDT on July 27, 2026
- Global traffic death rates have fallen by 30 percent since 1990, one new study found, and by 21% since 2011, according to the World Health Organization. The gains primarily came in higher income countries — the exception being the United States — and 90% of road deaths happen in low income nations. Car crashes claimed 1.1 million lives last year and remain the leading cause of death worldwide for people age 5 to 29. (Associated Press)
- Yet another suspected terrorist used a vehicle as a weapon. This time, a driver plowed through a Berlin Pride celebration, killing one person and injuring 29. The suspect, a German citizen with ties to Islamic extremism, was killed by police after rushing them with a knife. (BBC)
- At a time when many human beings can’t afford a place to live, some wealthy individuals are splurging on condos — not garages, but full-fledged homes — for their Corvettes and Porsches. (New York Times)
- The Trump administration is asking Congress, with uncharacteristic coyness, to rename Penn Station for The Donald. (NBC News)
- The Federal Transit Administration launched a public dashboard that purports to measure transit agencies’ safety and performance data. (Metro Magazine)
- Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, who backtracked on many of her pro-bike policies during last year’s campaign, is promising more protected bike lanes after a driver killed one of her staffers while she was biking. (CBS News)
- Philadelphia transit riders are dreading another funding crisis after the Pennsylvania government failed to reach an agreement, despite SEPTA’s successes during the World Cup. (WHYY)
- The D.C. Metro’s “Better Bus” overhaul of bus routes doesn’t seem to working, with both riderships and bus speeds down since its implementation. (The 51st)
- Austin’s Project Connect has delivered on bus rapid transit and commuter rail, but the centerpiece of a light rail through downtown has been scaled back and pushed back. (KUT)
- Uber and Waymo are ending their partnership in Atlanta and Austin. (CNBC)
- An Atlanta company is working on solar-powered e-bike racks that offer security from theft in addition to free charging. (Urbanize Atlanta)
- Idaho is one of just two states, along with West Virginia, that does not provide any funding for transit and prohibits local governments from levying taxes specifically for transit. (Idaho Press)
- The Nashville city attorney’s office has quit prosecuting traffic tickets because it says they don’t have the manpower. (WKRN)
- Asheville is considering moving from a coverage model to a frequency model where low-ridership routes would be sacrificed to increase headways on popular ones. (828 News)
- A fleet of 1,000 Veo shared scooters have replaced Spin’s in Salt Lake City. (Tribune)
- Ann Arbor cyclists are mounting bubble machines on the backs of their bikes to counteract the vitriol they face from drivers. (Concentrate)
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.
Read More:
More from Streetsblog USA
The California DMV’s Culture of Obstruction
California’s DMV is responsible for managing some of the biggest risks on the state’s roads, but researchers say a culture of secrecy and obstruction makes it nearly impossible for the public to access basic information about dangerous drivers and disabled parking placard fraud.
November 6, 2026
Opinion: I (Almost) Killed a Pedestrian With My Car
Every driver has a story or two about a near-miss traffic crash, even when they were doing everything right. Can we get those numbers down with safer systems?
November 6, 2026
Talking Headways Podcast: The Value of Cities
Cities are valuable precisely because there are so many people in them.
November 5, 2026
What It Will Take To Turn the ‘Blue Wave’ Into a Watershed Moment for Transportation Reform
Democrats won big at the ballot box in the midterms. Will they fight for multimodal travelers when they're in office?
November 5, 2026
