Take a Risk on Wednesday’s Headlines
Transit agencies that bet on high diesel costs are reaping rewards, but the strategy doesn't always work out.
By
Blake Aued
12:01 AM EDT on October 21, 2026
- Transit agencies and school districts often shield themselves from spiking diesel prices by signing contracts with banks that lock in a price ahead of time. Hedging has saved some transit agencies millions of dollars as diesel prices have risen to over $6 a gallon. While it provides cost certainty, the practice can also backfire when prices go down. (Governing)
- Suspending gas taxes only saves drivers a few dollars per fill-up, while also draining transportation funds that lawmakers will likely refill with money meant for education or health care. (Reason)
- Brandon Donnelly says it’s impossible to build a major global city like Houston, Toronto or Dubai around cars; congestion is inevitable no matter how wide the roads are.
- Infrastructure improvements like bikeshares often lead to at least the perception of gentrification among Philadelphia residents, according to Penn researchers. (Daily Pennsylvanian)
- A Washington state court ruled against an anti-bike lane group’s effort to have a referendum on the Vancouver complete streets program. (The Columbian; paywall)
- Jersey City is “hardening” 17 high-crash intersections with speed humps and barriers that force drivers to slow down and make tighter turns. (Hudson County View)
- The L.A. Metro broke ground on a new light rail line in the San Fernando Valley. (Trains)
- Miami’s Underline, a linear park underneath elevated rail tracks, is an example of how transit infrastructure can serve multiple purposes. (Urban Institute)
- One Axios Pittsburgh writer is quite enamored with the Amtrak ride to New York City.
- Welcome to the war on cars, Bow Mar, Colorado. (New York Times)
- The Baltimore Streetcar Museum is moving to a historic railway roundhouse. (WBAL)
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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