Transportation

  • A Chicago Transit Authority electric bus stopped near the Navy Pier.
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    Courtesy of Regional Transportation Authority
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    Transit agencies continue to add zero-emission buses to their fleets

    More than 7,000 full-size battery and fuel cell electric buses are in use or on the way, according to Calstart’s latest report, but shifting federal policies could affect future growth.

    By • March 14, 2025
  • An image of a man's face appears amid a soft foreground and background.
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    Andrew Harnik via Getty Images
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    EPA revisiting dozens of climate, environment rules in ‘day of deregulation’

    The agency said it would roll back a range of rules and programs, including some that are foundational to its efforts to address climate change. A new WOTUS definition is expected, as well as rollbacks to an emissions reporting program.

    By Jacob Wallace • March 13, 2025
  • People on a subway platform hold up cell phones to photograph a new subway train arriving in the station with a sign announcing its inaugural ride
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    Michael M. Santiago via Getty Images
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    Opinion

    New approaches to procurement can drive innovation in public transit

    The lengthy process from RFP to equipment delivery can result in trains that are already obsolete when they go into service. New technologies and procurement approaches could help.

    By Gabriel J. Lopez-Bernal • March 13, 2025
  • A man with silver hair speaks at a podium.
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    Kayla Bartkowski via Getty Images
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    DOT removes equity, environmental factors from IIJA funding decisions

    The move rolls back a Biden-era policy that included these considerations in decision-making criteria for infrastructure projects.

    By Julie Strupp • March 12, 2025
  • People walking and looking at a "Departures" board.
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    Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images
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    US DOT asks DC transportation authorities to focus on cutting crime

    Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy directed Amtrak, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority and the District Department of Transportation to report and take action to improve safety.

    By • March 7, 2025
  • Chevrolet Bolt EV charging Chicago
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    Scott Olson via Getty Images
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    ComEd offering $100M in rebates to drive EV growth in Illinois

    The program is meant to grow electric vehicle adoption by reducing charger installation costs in homes, businesses and public sites.

    By Larry Avila • March 7, 2025
  • rendering of a light rail trail coming toward the viewer on a track in the middle of a multi-lane road
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    Permission granted by Capital Metro
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    Austin, Texas, light rail project advances amid political uncertainty

    The $7 billion light rail project unveiled its draft environmental impact statement in January. The project could face federal funding challenges and state opposition.

    By Benton Graham • March 6, 2025
  • A rendering of a 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV in a residential garage with GM's vehicle-to-home charging equipment mounted on the wall.
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    Courtesy of General Motors
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    Massachusetts to deploy 100 bidirectional EV chargers in first-of-its-kind ‘V2X’ pilot

    The program is available for residential, commercial, municipal and school customers and could add 1.5 MW of flexible grid capacity by September 2026, program partners said.

    By Brian Martucci • March 5, 2025
  • Two people wait on the curb before crossing a major intersection in Los Angeles.
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    Kevork Djansezian via Getty Images
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    Pedestrian deaths continued to decline in first half of 2024: GHSA

    Despite an overall 2.6% reduction in pedestrian deaths over the past year, 23 states and the District of Columbia saw year-over-year increases in the first half of 2024.

    By • March 5, 2025
  • A row of electric vehicles charging in a parking garage.
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    Onurdongel via Getty Images
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    Are EVs the best approach to transportation equity? Maybe not, TEI report says

    EVs’ high costs and the need for public charging make them less viable for many low-income communities, the Transportation Energy Institute says. It suggests a more inclusive approach.

    By • March 3, 2025
  • Person wearing puffy white jacket and a mask on a bicycle holding a red grocery bag.
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    Michael M. Santiago via Getty Images
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    DoorDash to pay nearly $17M to delivery drivers to settle pay dispute

    DoorDash allegedly used delivery workers’ tips to subsidize their base pay, the New York attorney general said.

    By Ginger Christ • Feb. 28, 2025
  • View into the cockpit of an air taxi flight simulator with a man at the controls.
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    Courtesy of Joby Aviation
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    Air taxi developers await FAA certification

    Archer Aviation and Joby Aviation said they expect to launch commercial flights in the Middle East while they await U.S. aircraft type certification from the Federal Aviation Administration.

    By • Feb. 28, 2025
  • The front of a silver railroad cab car alongside a station platform with a sign reading, "Freetown."
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    Courtesy of Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
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    New commuter rail service to open in southeastern Massachusetts

    The $1 billion South Coast Rail project will return passenger train service to the area for the first time in 65 years.

    By • Feb. 27, 2025
  • View from inside a vehicle without a driver approaching an intersection with cars and bicycles.
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    Mario Tama via Getty Images
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    Opinion

    The unseen environmental costs of autonomous cars

    Robotaxis and self-driving cars could be a big step backwards in sustainability, cautions the CEO of an advanced transportation firm.

    By Jeral Poskey • Feb. 26, 2025
  • An aerial view of a rendering of a residential development.
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    Courtesy of Terra
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    Miami developer breaks ground on $1B transit-oriented project

    Upland Park, located near a bus terminal facility, will feature 2,000 apartments and retail and commercial space at full buildout.

    By Zachary Phillips • Feb. 26, 2025
  • People board a bus at a with a yellow taxi driving by.
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    Permission granted by Dan Zukowski
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    Labor, emissions top public transit leader concerns: Optibus report

    Transit driver retention and safety, zero-emission fleets, AI and other technologies are among the top issues identified by North American public transportation leaders. 

    By • Feb. 26, 2025
  • Two men in suits and a woman in the background.
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    Win McNamee via Getty Images
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    DOT funding priorities benefit Whiter, wealthier communities: Urban Institute

    A plan to tie funding to marriage and birth rates would leave behind historically underserved communities, according to an Urban Institute analysis.

    By Kalena Thomhave • Feb. 25, 2025
  • A Boston elevated train pulls into a station on a cloudy day.
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    Maddie Meyer via Getty Images
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    FTA postpones enforcement of state safety oversight rule for rail transit

    Though the rule was effective Jan. 1, the Federal Transit Administration is  postponing enforcement to March 20 in line with a Jan. 20 executive order.

    By • Feb. 25, 2025
  • A white transit bus with advertising is seen from the rear as it makes a stop in a bus lane next to a bus shelter on a city street.
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    Permission granted by Dan Zukowski
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    AI offers benefits, risks to public transit: Urban Institute researcher

    Transit agencies must balance potential safety and efficiency improvements against hacking, data privacy and equity concerns, Senior Research Associate Lindiwe Rennert says.

    By • Feb. 24, 2025
  • A woman in a blue jacket at a podium holding up a letter surrounded by several people.
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    (2025). [Video]. Retrieved from New York State.
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    NY takes on Trump in battle over congestion pricing

    U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy terminated approval of New York's program for tolling vehicles that enter Manhattan's central business district. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul vowed to fight.

    By • Feb. 20, 2025
  • A Serve Robotics robot in front of some buildings in the Miami area.
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    Courtesy of Serve Robotics
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    Serve Robotics is coming to Miami

    Serve will offer delivery through Uber Eats from Shake Shack and a local pizza chain in Brickell and Miami Beach, Florida. 

    By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • Feb. 20, 2025
  • Trucks sit in heavy traffic on Interstate 90 in Chicago on Sept. 1, 2006.
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    Tim Boyle/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    Rebuilt Chicago traffic bottleneck boosts truck speeds by 25%: ATRI

    But the rebuilt Jane Byrne Interchange has yet to make the full traffic improvement predicted when it opened in 2022.

    By Colin Campbell • Feb. 19, 2025
  • A man seated in the rear of a black car holding the door open on a busy street with yellow taxis and other vehicles.
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    Spencer Platt via Getty Images
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    Uber, Lyft riders choose ride-hailing over transit to save time: study

    The convenience of ride-hailing services comes with greater greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution, traffic congestion and noise, however, a University of Michigan study finds.

    By • Feb. 19, 2025
  • People seated at a long desk with others in four rows of seats behind them.
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    (2025). "America Builds: A Review of Programs to Address Roadway Safety" [Video]. Retrieved from T&I Committee Republicans/YouTube.
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    Roadway safety requires traffic enforcement, infrastructure investments: House hearing

    Safety advocates and local government officials joined members of Congress in calling for action to reduce traffic deaths in a House subcommittee hearing.

    By • Feb. 18, 2025
  • People wait for cars in the Lyft pick-up area at JFK Airport on April 28, 2023 in New York City.
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    Michael M. Santiago / Staff via Getty Images
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    Lyft offers assistance for drivers, premium options to fuel growth

    CEO David Risher credited the company’s “customer obsession” for a strong quarter, but it's focusing on its drivers, too.  

    By Bryan Wassel • Feb. 13, 2025