Wednesday’s Headlines Welcome Our Robot Overlords
The robotaxi field is growing, but with buyouts and now possibly layoffs at the U.S. DOT, will anyone be left to regulate them?
By
Blake Aued
12:01 AM EDT on July 30, 2025
Sponsored
- Court filings indicate the Trump administration is seeking layoffs at the U.S. Department of Transportation, even after thousands of employees took buyouts earlier this month. (Politico)
- Lyft is following Uber’s lead by partnering with two companies to start running robotaxis (Motor Trend). They both trail Waymo in the field, but Tesla trails everyone: Its planned San Francisco robotaxis will just be regular human-driven taxis after the firm failed to get a permit from California regulators to operate autonomous vehicles (Jalopnik).
- Cities should be building trams to connect regional rail to urban subways. (Works in Progress)
- Make cycling safe for seniors, and they will see enormous health benefits. (Carbon Upfront)
- Giving up driving will reduce your stress and anxiety, and help connect you to your neighborhood. (MinnPost)
- Chicagoans can learn something from the looming transit cuts in Pennsylvania. (Tribune)
- The Trump administration will unfreeze $1 billion in Biden-era infrastructure funding, according to Sen. John Fetterman. (Philadelphia Inquirer)
- Bike advocates say Mayor Mike Johnston’s $935 million transportation package doesn’t include enough funding for bike lanes. (Denverite)
- Indianapolis has introduced a cost-sharing initiative for tactical urbanism projects. (Indy Mirror)
- BikePGH’s open streets events in Pittsburgh draw thousands of people eager to bike without danger from car traffic. (WESA)
- How did San Francisco get a 37-foot-wide sidewalk? (Chronicle; paywall)
- A Houston crew doing road work found original brick paving and streetcar lines buried under the asphalt, which some commenters want to bring back to the surface. (Chron)
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:
Sponsored
Support Streetsblog
More from Streetsblog USA
Motorist Careens onto North Beach Sidewalk, Killing Pedestrian
Driver kills pedestrian at another location where a safety project festered
The post Motorist Careens onto North Beach Sidewalk, Killing Pedestrian appeared first on Streetsblog San Francisco.
March 6, 2026
Friday Video: The H.A.R.D. Fight Against Hit-and-Runs
Streetsblog USA senior editor Kea Wilson sits down with Tiffanie Stanfield of Fighting H.A.R.D.
December 12, 2025
Wednesday’ Headlines Are on Autopilot
Don't be afraid of regulating driverless cars out of existence, writes Angie Schmitt. The industry needs guardrails.
December 10, 2025
City Shuts Down Volunteer Crosswalk Painting Event in Los Angeles
LAPD cited People's Vision Zero volunteer organizer Jonathan Hale for misdemeanor "vandalism on city property."
December 9, 2025
Tuesday’s Headlines Set the Record Straight
Folks who think dirtier cars will be cheaper to drive are in for a rude awakening.
December 9, 2025
Comments Are Temporarily Disabled
Streetsblog is in the process of migrating our commenting system. During this transition, commenting is temporarily unavailable.
Once the migration is complete, you will be able to log back in and will have full access to your comment history. We appreciate your patience and look forward to having you back in the conversation soon.