Today's Headlines

Thursday’s Headlines Power Up

At least to mitigate climate change, EVs and small cars might be the way forward until we get better transit and biking/walking infrastructure.

By Blake Aued

12:01 AM EST on November 12, 2026

In June the Guardian cited the Renault Twingo as an example of a electric "city car" that's becoming increasingly popular in Europe. Alexander MIgl

With just 4 percent of the global fleet made up of electric vehicles, they’re already saving more than 1 million barrels of oil a day, making EVs the best hope to curb dependence on fossil fuels and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, 24 countries decided at climate summit COP26. (Transport & Environment)
The ideal, of course, is going car-free, but that’s not easy in most cities. New York is the only city in the U.S. where a majority of people commute by transit, bike or walking, and the figures fall quickly from there, down to 15 percent for No. 10 Minneapolis. (New York Times)
More than two-thirds of Northern Ireland residents refuse to even consider biking because it’s too dangerous. (Velo Disco)
Smaller cities in the U.S. compare favorably to their European counterparts in People for Bikes‘ rankings. That’s not the case for big cities, though.
Toyota will start selling a tiny kei truck in the U.S. next year, but it’s only allowed on low-speed streets, and will only be available to fleets, not individuals. (Jalopnik)
Traffic congestion seems immune to advances in technology and computing power that theoretically should be able to improve it. (City Nerd)
Speaking of technology, Tesla’s misleadingly named Full Self-Driving function — which still requires an alert driver ready to take the wheel — routinely exceeds the speed limit and tries to pass cyclists in areas where that’s prohibited. (Momentum)
Apparently the old Tesla-Edison AC vs. DC debate is still alive and well when it comes to rail electrification. (Railway Age)
A Houston landscape architecture firm creating a set of design templates for cooling pedestrians while they walk. (Dezeen)
The new Democratic attorney general in Texas is likely to end Ken Paxton’s quest to cancel light rail in Austin. (KXAN)
The midterm elections have ended a partisan standoff in Pennsylvania over transit funding. (State Affairs; paywall)
Why does it always seem like cities wait for a driver to kill a child before they improve an intersection? (Charlotte Observer)
Destin and Fort Walton Beach are planning a 2,000-space parking deck at the airport they share. (Get the Coast)
Former NFL coach and noted foot-lover Rex Ryan was charged with several misdemeanors in Nashville when, ironically, two pedestrians accused him of running over their feet with his SUV. (WSMV)