Friday’s Headlines Do Things Backwards
The best cities have street grids with small blocks, but in recent decades cities have ceded the important responsibility of designing streets to private developers.
By
Blake Aued
12:01 AM EDT on October 2, 2026
- Buildings come and go, but streets last forever. That’s why cities should start with their street grid and work from there, rather than emphasizing land use over transportation. (CNU Public Square)
- Transit and law enforcement leaders met with White House officials to emphasize the importance of federal funding to safety and security. (Smart Cities Dive)
- Consumer Affairs ranks the Bay Area, New York, Washington, Seattle and Salt Lake City are the cities with the best transit systems, based on safety, reliability and customer service.
- Lyft agreed to pay California drivers $272 million to settle a lawsuit accusing the company of wage theft. (Reuters)
- Maryland’s proposed budget gives Baltimore transit short shrift in favor of the D.C. suburbs. (Banner)
- President Trump could wipe out bike lanes along the East Potomac loop. (Axios)
- Traffic deaths are falling in Phoenix, but not fast enough to reach Vision Zero by 2050. (WOWT)
- New Orleans is offering rebates to low-income residents who buy e-bikes. (Times-Picayune)
- Crime has dropped on Charlotte Area Rapid Transit, but fare enforcement remains a problem. (Carolina Public Press)
- Elon Musk announced he’s building a hyperloop tunnel between San Antonio and Austin, which was news to leaders in both cities. (San Antonio Current)
- Louisville cyclists want safe biking infrastructure in more neighborhoods. (WBRD)
- Richmond has plans to make safety improvements at more than 700 intersections by the end of next year. (WTVR)
- Omaha is considering getting rid of minimum parking requirements for residential developments. (Nebraska Public Media)
- High-speed rail between Calgary and Edmonton is moving forward. (CBC)
- Canadian Cycling Magazine praises Montreal bikeshare BIXI.
- Biking is the best way to enjoy the architecture as a tourist abroad. (Architect)
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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