Today's Headlines

Tuesday’s Headlines Are a High Facts Zone

Low-emissions zones work, but public backlash makes some politicians reluctant to embrace them.

By Blake Aued

12:01 PM EDT on August 25, 2026

Tuesday’s Headlines Are a High Facts Zone

London's congestion charge ranked among the most effective VMT reduction strategies in a recent study. What will it take to get Americans to accept a similar approach? Photo: Mariordo, CC

London’s ultra-low emissions zone has saved thousands of lives by preventing pollution, but culture war opposition has made other cities skittish about following suit. (The Guardian). In fact, based on this recent Stanford study and others, it seems the focus has shifted more toward coping with unbearable heat rather than trying to prevent climate change.
Waymos in California are still deadheading, or wandering around without a passenger, almost half the time. They drive four times as many miles as the average human. On top of concerns about traffic gridlock, this led MIT’s Awad Abdelhalim to wonder, if increasingly common electric robotaxis don’t pay gas taxes and don’t pay for parking, how will cities fund street upkeep? (Eno Center for Transportation)
The 16,000 union construction jobs involved have made high-speed rail untouchable in California. (Politico)
A study found that high-speed rail could make the trip between Austin and San Antonio in an hour and would cost about $13 billion. (Smart Cities Dive)
Light rail transformed Charlotte, creating new walkable neighborhoods along the Blue Line, but the city erred in not recouping some of that additional property value to pay for transit projects and/or affordable housing. (Planetizen)
Former Kansas City mayor Sly James takes a victory lap over the city streetcar’s success. (Star)
If Portland leaders and residents really care about transit, Jarrett Walker says they ought to be willing to pay for it. (Oregonian)
Minneapolis police arrested far-right extremist Jake Lang after two vehicles drove onto a sidewalk in front of City Hall where counterprotestors were gathered. (KARE)
Mobile is applying for a $3 million federal grant to install bollards downtown to stop terrorists from using vehicles as weapons against pedestrians, as happened in nearby New Orleans. (Fox 10)
A Bay Area group created braille and tactile maps to help blind and low-vision riders navigate transit systems. (Passenger Transport)
Darth Vader finds the San Diego city council’s lack of faith in Flock cameras disturbing. (404 Media)