Transportation

  • A blue vehicle with a large front window and sensors mounted on the upper sides seen on a busy urban street.
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    Courtesy of Zoox
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    Zoox purpose-built robotaxis get first-ever nod from NHTSA for paid rides

    No steering wheel, no pedals, no problem: Zoox will start charging customers for rides in Las Vegas next month, following approval by local regulators.

    By • July 31, 2026
  • A green, blue and white bus stopped on red brick pavement under palm trees on a sunny day.
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    Permission granted by Dan Zukowski
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    $610M available for FTA bus grants

    This round could close out five years of Federal Transit Administration bus investments from the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law, with future funding uncertain.

    By • July 30, 2026
  • smart city, smart cities Explore the Trendline➔
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    Getty Images
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    Trendline

    Top 5 stories from Smart Cities Dive

    From worsening climate change to a shifting transportation landscape and the housing affordability crisis, cities have their work cut out for them.

    By Smart Cities Dive staff
  • A rendering of a modern-looking building at sunrise. The glass outer covering is partially obscured by foliage.
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    (2026). [Photograph]. Retrieved from U.S. Department of Transportation.
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    Trump reveals plans for $22.5B Dulles airport overhaul

    Municipal bonds and public-private partnership opportunities would finance Trump’s plan to modernize Washington Dulles International Airport.

    By Matthew Thibault • July 30, 2026
  • Cars and people outside a large ornate white building.
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    Permission granted by Dan Zukowski
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    Washington Union Station renovation seeks private investment

    The U.S. Department of Transportation will invest $24 million to develop a public-private partnership, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said.

    By • July 29, 2026
  • People cross a street underneath elevated train tracks at night.
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    "The street beneath the underground" by Franck Michel is licensed under CC BY 2.0
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    Accessible pedestrian signal rollout in Chicago ahead of targets, but technical gaps persist: report

    Improvements are needed to ensure blind and low-vision pedestrians can safely use the system, inspectors say, but the city has exceeded its court-ordered installation requirement.

    By Lori Tobias • July 29, 2026
  • View through the windshield of a vehicle with a white robotaxi just ahead.
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    Permission granted by Dan Zukowski
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    Waymo robotaxis safer than human drivers: IIHS report

    Waymo vehicles operating in self-driving mode were involved in 68% fewer crashes than human drivers in comparable conditions, according to a new Insurance Institute for Highway Safety report.

    By • July 28, 2026
  • A man in a suit wearing sunglasses with two uniformed people alongside at a podium speaking to a group of people.
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    Retrieved from U.S. Department of Transportation/X.
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    Surface Transportation Legislation

    Mass transit, bike lanes, EV infrastructure face substantial cuts in DOT proposal

    Building and expanding interstate highways is a priority for the administration’s next surface transportation legislation, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a letter to six Senate leaders.

    By • July 27, 2026
  • People on a station platform walking alongside a train.
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    Permission granted by Dan Zukowski
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    $530M from state millionaire tax will go to Boston-area transit agency

    The infusion from the state’s fiscal year 2027 budget will help cover the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s operating expenses.

    By • July 24, 2026
  • Side view of a two-door car parked at night with people sitting at tables on the sidewalk.
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    Courtesy of Tesla Motors
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    Tesla robotaxis now open to riders in 4 cities

    Tesla CEO Elon Musk wants to bring its robotaxis to more cities “as fast as humanly possible,” he told investors during the company’s earnings call.

    By • July 23, 2026
  • A red and white fire engine speeds through an intersection amid tall buildings.
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    Getty Images
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    Hundreds of smart traffic intersections coming to the Houston area

    Emergency vehicles will get priority in the Harris County system, part of a 12-year agreement with Miovision.

    By • July 22, 2026
  • Men and women seated along a row of tables with two rows of chairs behind them.
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    (2026). "Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Member Day" [Video]. Retrieved from T&I Committee Republicans/YouTube.
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    Surface Transportation Legislation

    Multiyear surface transportation legislation in doubt, experts say

    The legislation that funds highways and mass transit appears stalled in the Senate after the House passed a bipartisan five-year bill.

    By • July 21, 2026
  • People wearing yellow shirts cheer as they ride a bus.
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    Adam Gray via Getty Images
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    Opinion

    The World Cup was a transportation stress test. Cities got an A-plus.

    Digital transportation infrastructure pilots became real — and helped move millions of people around host cities. Policymakers should build on that momentum.

    By Rachel McCleery • July 21, 2026
  • people cheering
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    Adobe Stock/Mikael Damkier

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    Sponsored by Energy Systems Group (ESG)

    Beyond the stadium: What the World Cup can teach every community about first impressions

    Why the visitor experience begins long before the first match and lasts long after the final whistle.

    July 20, 2026
  • Public transportation bus in New York
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    istockphoto.com / THEPALMER

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    Sponsored by National Association of State Procurement Officials

    Before you buy: Procurement strategies for modern transit fleets

    Modern transit fleets start with smart procurement. Here's what to consider before you buy.

    By Micah Gibson, Communications Coordinator, NASPO • July 20, 2026
  • People riding bikes along a bike lane.
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    Heather Diehl via Getty Images
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    Bike lanes, speed cameras removed from FHWA safety measures list

    The Federal Highway Administration did not announce its decision to remove the measures. One member of Congress has asked it to explain.

    By • July 17, 2026
  • A black Lucid Gravity robotaxi riding on a an urban street at night with its lights on.
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    Courtesy of Lucid Group
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    Self-driving Ubers are coming to Houston, San Francisco

    Uber, Lucid and Nuro jointly developed the robotaxis. Public rides may begin in the San Francisco Bay Area later this year.

    By • July 16, 2026
  • A van on a roadway alongside a sign reading "Begin Toll Zone."
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    Michael M. Santiago via Getty Images
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    Congestion pricing has little to no effect on NYC parking: report

    Tight parking conditions largely predated the program, the report found. Increased parking use, where it occurred, was likely due to economic growth.

    By • July 15, 2026
  • Two adults, a young child and baby in a stroller, accompanied by a dog, cross the street amond trees and homes in the background.
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    Fly View Productions via Getty Images
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    US pedestrian deaths decline for third straight year

    The estimated reduction in pedestrian fatalities in 2025 came as cities and states increase law enforcement and other measures, the Governors Highway Safety Association said.

    By • July 14, 2026
  • A person in green at a podium with two other people on a red carpet and a crowd of people holding since behind them.
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    Courtesy of Governor Kathy Hochul/Flickr
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    Faster buses, more reduced fares goal of New York city, state agreements

    More automated camera enforcement of bus lane infractions also will come from agreements between New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

    By • July 13, 2026
  • Man is a blue suit at a desk with a microphone.
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    Alex Wong via Getty Images
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    $1.73B for roads, bridges, transit and other projects allocated in USDOT awards

    More than three-quarters of grants went to road and bridge projects, while public transit received less than 10% of total award funds.

    By • July 9, 2026
  • People walking on a plaza to and from a glass-front building with a sign reading "Brightline."
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    Courtesy of Brightline Florida
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    Brightline Florida rail company faces bankruptcy

    Despite strong ridership on the Miami-Orlando, Florida, rail line, the company’s $5.5 billion debt puts its future in doubt.

    By • July 8, 2026
  • People dressed for work stand at a train station as an electric-powered train pulls in.
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    Courtesy of Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District
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    Electric commuter rail line extension aims to bring economic benefits to northern Indiana

    A branch of the South Shore Line, the Monon Corridor is expected to generate $2.7 billion in private investment to northwestern Indiana when combined with another completed project.

    By • July 6, 2026
  • A white, red and black aircraft with six propellers parked on an apron.
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    Courtesy of Toyota Motor Corp.
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    Joby, Toyota form electric air taxi joint venture

    The new entity aims to support the certification and commercial production of Joby’s eVTOL aircraft. The companies' strategic alliance has been in the works since 2024.

    By Sara Samora • July 2, 2026
  • A train car full of people all wearing yellow shirts.
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    Adam Gray via Getty Images
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    World Cup drives record public transit ridership in US match cities

    Transit agencies in Atlanta, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Seattle are reporting new highs in ridership on certain game days.

    By • July 2, 2026
  • Construction workers high up on large pedestals with cranes nearby.
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    Courtesy of Justin Chechourka/California High-Speed Rail Authority
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    Will US high-speed rail projects ever leave the station?

    California’s San Francisco-Los Angeles project looks to the private sector for help, but other privately funded projects are struggling.

    By • Updated July 2, 2026