Wednesday’s Headlines Are Still Pretty Dirty
Plug-in hybrids are a "greenwashing stunt" that are not much cleaner or fuel efficient than fully gas-powered cars, according to Transport & Environment.
By
Blake Aued
12:01 AM EDT on September 9, 2026
- Plug-in hybrids emit six times the amount of greenhouse gases than official testing suggests, according to a new European Union study. The auto industry is opposed to regulations that would bring those figures into line with reality. (Transport & Environment)
- Density makes cities more productive, but traffic congestion eats up a lot of those benefits. (Brookings)
- West Coast states are leading the way in exploring new sources of transportation funding to account for more fuel-efficient vehicles and declining gas tax revenue. (Government Technology)
- House Republicans’ proposed five-year transportation funding bill could result in 25 percent cuts for Milwaukee County transit. (Urban Milwaukee)
- In response to outrage from transit advocates, the Houston Metro cut jobs and restructured debt rather than cutting rail and bus service as previously planned. (Chronicle; paywall)
- A new design for Boston’s Blue Hill Avenue keeps a controversial center bus lane while adding more parking, more trees, new sidewalks and a bike path. (WBUR)
- A Montreal study says that investing in transit brings greater economic development benefits than investing in car infrastructure. (Global News)
- A small group of Seattle property owners is out to stop a monorail project by disingenuously asking for expensive “improvements” that drive up the cost and demanding more studies. (The Stranger)
- Amtrak will suspend Virginia-to-D.C. service next month to make critical track upgrades. (Mercury)
- Fort Worth Report lists the most dangerous intersections in the city.
- Drivers killed two pedestrians in Wilmington last week, prompting renewed interest in Vision Zero. (WWAY)
- Darrell Owens delves into the drama over a bike lane in Berkeley that’s been a hot topic on Bluesky. (The Discourse Lounge)
- If you’re in Toronto and want to gawk at some celebs this week, take the King Street streetcar. It’s being rerouted effective Thursday to pass by an international film festival. (blogTO)
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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