If Wednesday’s Headlines Ain’t First, They’re Last
Like Ricky Bobby, too many American drivers just wanna go fast.
By
Blake Aued
12:01 AM EDT on September 2, 2026
- About three in 10 U.S. drivers think there’s nothing wrong with speeding, according to a AAA poll. The reality is, there’s plenty wrong with it, like the fact that it kills people. Nearly a third of traffic deaths involve excessive speeds. (Jalopnik)
- Miriam Pinski argues that one reason transit projects take so long and cost so much is because we ask them to do too much — beautify the neighborhood, save the environment, create jobs, etc. — when the most important thing is to create a reliable system people will choose to ride (Works in Progress). Meanwhile, Reece Martin went into even greater depth about the same topic (The Transit Brief).
- The Federal Railway Administration is loosening a lot of train safety regulations. (Trains)
- The California legislature sent Gov. Gavin Newsom a bill cutting red tape for high-speed rail. (EIN Presswire)
- Maryland’s $22 billion, six-year transportation budget includes just $100 million for Red Line planning (Daily Record). Meanwhile, an audit found that the state failed to collect more than $800 million in tolls (Maryland Matters).
- West Virginia groups asked a federal court for an injunction to stop the last phase of the Corridor H freeway project. (WDTV)
- The Southern Alliance for Clean Energy opposes Florida’s plan to use federal funds for EV chargers for flying taxis instead.
- Pittsburgh is replacing its 30-year-old light rail cars. (WTAE)
- Portland is considering offering city government employees free transit passes while Interstate 5 is closed for construction. (Willamette Week)
- Colorado has become a national leader on clean transportation, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council.
- Governing magazine honored Randy Clarke as one of its public officials of the year for revitalizing the D.C. Metro.
- Riders on Charlotte’s Gold Line now have to request a stop when they want to get off the light rail train. (Queen City News)
- The European Union wants member states to make the default urban speed limit 30 kilometers per hour, or about 20 miles per hour (Euro Cities). Birmingham, England has already beat them to the punch (BBC).
- Piggybacking on the discourse Streetsblog NYC stirred up over bike helmets, Belgium has made them mandatory for scooters that go over 20 kph. (Zag Daily)
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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