Special Features

Friday’s Headlines Are Cooking With Gas

Fuel economy is the latest victim of President Trump's efforts to unravel the Biden administration's legacy.

By Blake Aued

12:01 AM EST on December 5, 2025

Wassim Chouak, CC

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The Trump administration is rolling back stricter fuel economy regulations approved under his predecessor, Joe Biden. The president claims the move will make cars more affordable, but that’s disputed by those who point out that owners will be paying more for gas. (NPR)
The politics are difficult, to say the least, but Andrew Miller argues that from an economics standpoint, every road should be a toll road. (Changing Lanes)
The Autopia attraction at Disneyland will now feature electric vehicles. But right down the road is California Adventure, a retro theme park that showcases what the future could be like with no cars at all. (Climate Colored Goggles)
In a New York Times guest essay, investor Nicolas Rohatyn suggests that mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani pay for fare-free buses by charging for on-street parking.
Suburban Addison’s city council voted not to leave Dallas Area Rapid Transit, but four other metro cities will hold referendums this fall on exiting from the regional transit agency. (KERA)
Uber and Avride announced they will introduce robotaxis in Dallas. (TechCrunch)
Washington state lawmakers want to restrict the use of license plate readers by local police because ICE is using the data for immigration enforcement. (Route Fifty)
More than 1 million people are expected to move to the Seattle area, giving new urgency to Sound Transit’s plans for light rail expansion. (KING)
Once viewed as financially robust, Denver’s Regional Transportation District is now facing a dismal budget outlook, with sluggish sales tax revenue and higher than expected maintenance costs eating into money for expansion. (Denver Post)
RTD also did a study on reducing drug use at transit stations. (Axios)
The Utah DOT is turning to buses and tolls, rather than a controversial gondola proposal, to ease congestion on a highway to a popular ski area. (Salt Lake Tribune)
Pushback from businesses led a Chicago alderman to delay his proposal to let residents use their cellphones to report parking violations. (Sun-Times)
Boston is on the cutting edge of parking enforcement technology. (Government Tech)
Toronto is avoiding the ire of anti-bike lane Ontario Premier Doug Ford by narrowing car lanes to make room for bikes, rather than removing a lane entirely. This also has the added benefit of slowing down traffic. (City News)
Transport for London is discussing “innovative fare structures” to win back riders and avoid cuts to bus service. (The Standard)