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.
Read More:
Streetsblog has migrated to a new comment system. New commenters can register directly in the comments section of any article. Returning commenters: your previous comments and display name have been preserved, but you'll need to reclaim your account by clicking "Forgot your password?" on the sign-in form, entering your email, and following the verification link to set a new password — this is required because passwords could not be carried over during the migration. For questions, contact tips@streetsblog.org.
More from Streetsblog USA
Tuesday’s Headlines Cheap Out
A bill to keep transportation money flowing rolls back funds to pre-infrastructure act levels.
September 8, 2026
Friday’s Headlines Are on a Greyhound Bound for Nowhere
Actually, intercity buses go a lot more places now.
September 4, 2026
Talking Headways Podcast: New Tricks for Old Bureaucracies
"Strong reforms are necessary in California if we're going to have public transit agencies that are successful," says this week's guest.
September 3, 2026
Never Mind the Bollards, Here Come Thursday’s Headlines
Despite the constraints they place on public spaces, the barriers are necessary to protect people from weaponized vehicles.
September 3, 2026
If Wednesday’s Headlines Ain’t First, They’re Last
Like Ricky Bobby, too many American drivers just wanna go fast.
September 2, 2026
