Senior editor + advocacy journalist at Streetsblog USA covering the movement to end universal car dependency. Based in STL, reporting nationally. Tips to: kea@streetsblog.org or kwilson.52 on signal. Opinions are my own.https://bsky.app/profile/keawilson.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/keawilson.bsky.social/post/3mmrsoocwas2fLoved this one we published on Memorial Day about the violent history of Route 66 you won't see in nostalgic tourist traps, and how that's shaped the roads we still drive on today https://usa.streetsblog.org/2026/05/25/the-forgotten-history-of-bloody-66-and-how-public-memory-helps-perpetuate-traffic-violence26 May 2026 20:15 +0000at://did:plc:4u4lc7numpgmmsgc7i3kivpn/app.bsky.feed.post/3mmrsoocwas2fhttps://bsky.app/profile/keawilson.bsky.social/post/3mm5n7xqvcc27TBH it's been disturbing to see how Black Lives Matter has faded out of a lot of street safety conversations since Trump got back into power. Wrote about a new report that reminds us why that's a massive mistake, and why Vision Zero and criminal justice reform are fundamentally the same movement. https://usa.streetsblog.org/2026/05/18/street-safety-and-police-reform-are-two-sides-of-the-same-coin18 May 2026 19:44 +0000at://did:plc:4u4lc7numpgmmsgc7i3kivpn/app.bsky.feed.post/3mm5n7xqvcc27https://bsky.app/profile/keawilson.bsky.social/post/3mle5inpuds2xBeen a while since this happened and I think it's cool: this very cool journal translated one of our articles into Portuguese! It means a lot to me when my work resonants in other places around the world. https://caosplanejado.com/nao-somos-copenhagen-nao-e-desculpa-para-negligenciar-pedestres-e-ciclistas/08 May 2026 16:26 +0000at://did:plc:4u4lc7numpgmmsgc7i3kivpn/app.bsky.feed.post/3mle5inpuds2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/keawilson.bsky.social/post/3mldqbunnqk2rI've been writing about federal transportation policy for a decade and even I am amazed at how many new ways the Trump administration is finding to defund transit, and how breathtakingly hard it is to keep up with. T4 has a great breakdown on the latest one: stalling apportionment from the OMB. https://t4america.org/2026/05/05/usdots-historic-failure-to-advance-any-new-transit-projects-in-14-months-may-be-a-sign-of-things-to-come/08 May 2026 12:30 +0000at://did:plc:4u4lc7numpgmmsgc7i3kivpn/app.bsky.feed.post/3mldqbunnqk2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/keawilson.bsky.social/post/3mkzv2lsskk2oThe thing about transportation reporting is that stuff that's really wonky and easy to glaze over (revisions to federal train insurance liability requirements) can have *massive*, dramatic impacts on our lives unless we lock in and speak up (commuter trains across America abruptly stopping service.) https://usa.streetsblog.org/2026/05/04/this-doomsday-law-could-stop-trains-across-america-in-a-matter-of-weeks04 May 2026 14:29 +0000at://did:plc:4u4lc7numpgmmsgc7i3kivpn/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkzv2lsskk2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/keawilson.bsky.social/post/3mk3qp37ctc2iI cannot describe how exhausting it is to spend a career talking about induced demand, to see it become mainstream among average people AND their governments, to see and feel things finally changing... and then a president comes in who take us back to the 1950s. https://usa.streetsblog.org/2026/04/22/for-earth-day-the-trump-administration-wants-to-expand-highways-across-america22 Apr 2026 14:51 +0000at://did:plc:4u4lc7numpgmmsgc7i3kivpn/app.bsky.feed.post/3mk3qp37ctc2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/keawilson.bsky.social/post/3mjwxrrcwlk2eIn St. Louis you can do this with street trees ...and I may or may not know someone who's done it upwards of 100 times. :) [contains quote post or other embedded content]20 Apr 2026 17:14 +0000at://did:plc:4u4lc7numpgmmsgc7i3kivpn/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjwxrrcwlk2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/keawilson.bsky.social/post/3mjwj5k2q3s27I would love to know how many U.S. families have lost multiple members to traffic violence, especially in separate crashes. Because this is not the first story on a husband and wife dying in exactly the same place that I've reported, and unless something changes, it definitely won't be the last. https://usa.streetsblog.org/2026/04/20/when-traffic-violence-hits-the-same-family-twice-years-apart-on-exactly-the-same-street20 Apr 2026 12:52 +0000at://did:plc:4u4lc7numpgmmsgc7i3kivpn/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjwj5k2q3s27https://bsky.app/profile/keawilson.bsky.social/post/3mjjyahyypc2bIMO, we cannot possibly underestimate how little our elected officials and their staff actually know about how transportation works. And when you really look it in the face, it's obvious why we have the transportation system we do, and what we need to do to fix it. https://usa.streetsblog.org/2026/04/14/why-do-we-do-this-bill-preparing-congressional-staff-for-surface-transportation-reauthorization15 Apr 2026 13:18 +0000at://did:plc:4u4lc7numpgmmsgc7i3kivpn/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjjyahyypc2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/keawilson.bsky.social/post/3mjjy4u6fes2bIn which I share my go-to "fuck around and find out" tactic when arguing with end-stage carbrain https://usa.streetsblog.org/2026/04/14/what-if-all-cars-were-autonomous-electric-and-free15 Apr 2026 13:16 +0000at://did:plc:4u4lc7numpgmmsgc7i3kivpn/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjjy4u6fes2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/keawilson.bsky.social/post/3migqzvf6js2mReally stoked about this news. https://usa.streetsblog.org/2026/04/01/sustainable-action-streetsblog-is-making-a-feature-film01 Apr 2026 13:06 +0000at://did:plc:4u4lc7numpgmmsgc7i3kivpn/app.bsky.feed.post/3migqzvf6js2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/keawilson.bsky.social/post/3mievaps5h22iSpoiler: there isn't an easy answer! But not building so many damn highways is a good start. https://usa.streetsblog.org/2026/03/31/how-to-fix-the-broken-gas-tax-usa-fuel-tax-electric-vehicles31 Mar 2026 19:16 +0000at://did:plc:4u4lc7numpgmmsgc7i3kivpn/app.bsky.feed.post/3mievaps5h22ihttps://bsky.app/profile/keawilson.bsky.social/post/3mibywxtqqc2cWrote about why Trump's 'Freedom Means Affordable Cars' initiative (yes, they really called it that) is bullshit, why mass forced car dependency will never be affordable *or* liberating, and why the latest gas shock only makes it more obvious what this is all about: enriching automotive interests. https://usa.streetsblog.org/2026/03/30/trumps-freedom-means-affordable-cars-rings-hollow-as-gas-prices-surge30 Mar 2026 15:44 +0000at://did:plc:4u4lc7numpgmmsgc7i3kivpn/app.bsky.feed.post/3mibywxtqqc2chttps://bsky.app/profile/keawilson.bsky.social/post/3mhy2jpryds2pReally enjoyed this conversation about applying the idea of "universal basics" to neighborhoods, why it it *is* possible to give every person access to good transit, biking, and walking options, and why we actually can't afford not to do it. It's like Blue Zones without all the secret pension fraud! https://usa.streetsblog.org/2026/03/24/how-a-universal-basic-neighborhood-can-help-americans-live-longer26 Mar 2026 16:46 +0000at://did:plc:4u4lc7numpgmmsgc7i3kivpn/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhy2jpryds2phttps://bsky.app/profile/keawilson.bsky.social/post/3mhvffbf6ys2zIn early January we reported on a leaked document that showed that Trump administration was fishing for congestion-related excuses to rip out a bunch of bike lanes in D.C. Now one of the lanes on that list is actually slated for removal. https://usa.streetsblog.org/2026/03/24/bike-advocates-sue-trump-admin-national-park-service-dismantling-bike-lanes-washington-monument25 Mar 2026 15:22 +0000at://did:plc:4u4lc7numpgmmsgc7i3kivpn/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhvffbf6ys2zhttps://bsky.app/profile/keawilson.bsky.social/post/3mhj5oakdqk2fHi; we are hiring for a new intern this summer! Please share with any promising students (undergrad/grad) you know, esp. if they are passionate about urbanism, transit, biking, walking, and mobility justice. Bonus points for skills re: short form video, strong writers, etc. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1063FH5ZRBA5sSp8NjXjXFtphSR-6vO3GcI-qoUxLRHA/edit?tab=t.020 Mar 2026 18:32 +0000at://did:plc:4u4lc7numpgmmsgc7i3kivpn/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhj5oakdqk2fhttps://bsky.app/profile/keawilson.bsky.social/post/3mhb7tdhcic2sThings I learned while writing this: by next year, the amount of general tax revenue we will need to subsidize the highway trust fund every year will be almost enough to *literally end world hunger,* and 4x more than we need to eradicate homelessness in the U.S. And that's just the shortfall. https://usa.streetsblog.org/2026/03/17/senator-mike-lee-slash-highway-funding-bill-transit-trust-fund17 Mar 2026 14:49 +0000at://did:plc:4u4lc7numpgmmsgc7i3kivpn/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhb7tdhcic2shttps://bsky.app/profile/keawilson.bsky.social/post/3mgx2d7lm722pSomething I think about a lot is how different our world would look if we took the $100billion+ we've invested in autonomous vehicle development alone and put into street safety infrastructure in our cities instead. And the subsidies don't stop with R&D. https://futurism.com/advanced-transport/waymo-san-francisco-resources?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email13 Mar 2026 13:44 +0000at://did:plc:4u4lc7numpgmmsgc7i3kivpn/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgx2d7lm722phttps://bsky.app/profile/keawilson.bsky.social/post/3mgpgbwv4ks2xResearch q: anyone know where I can find an updated estimate for this number that center for investigative reporting (cc @revealnews.org) came up with 11 years ago? https://www.smartcitiesdive.com/ex/sustainablecitiescollective/true-cost-gasoline-15-gallon/26284/10 Mar 2026 12:57 +0000at://did:plc:4u4lc7numpgmmsgc7i3kivpn/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgpgbwv4ks2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/keawilson.bsky.social/post/3mg3ggx3kss2jIDK who needs this, but here's a breakdown of why Kansas' anti-trans driver's license law is bullshit, why this is absolutely a transportation reform issue, and how cruel and dangerous it is to make people in car dependent places choose between legal driving and not denying their basic identities. https://usa.streetsblog.org/2026/03/02/why-anti-trans-laws-are-terrible-for-transportation-too02 Mar 2026 14:07 +0000at://did:plc:4u4lc7numpgmmsgc7i3kivpn/app.bsky.feed.post/3mg3ggx3kss2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/keawilson.bsky.social/post/3mfstezivus2sThis is fucked and if you’re a “street safety” person this is absolutely your issue [contains quote post or other embedded content]27 Feb 2026 04:04 +0000at://did:plc:4u4lc7numpgmmsgc7i3kivpn/app.bsky.feed.post/3mfstezivus2shttps://bsky.app/profile/keawilson.bsky.social/post/3meggelnajc2rThis pubbed a week ago while I was on vacation someplace warm (yes, I did pay someone to shovel my walk while I was gone), but wrote about why mutual aid is getting more important for street safety, especially as government gets more violent. https://usa.streetsblog.org/2026/02/02/shoveling-a-snowy-sidewalk-is-an-act-of-resistance09 Feb 2026 12:14 +0000at://did:plc:4u4lc7numpgmmsgc7i3kivpn/app.bsky.feed.post/3meggelnajc2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/keawilson.bsky.social/post/3mdo4tgeshs2tFellow snowbelt folks: what is your number one tip for clearing a sidewalk of snow? Having a weirdly hard time finding a guide that's specifically geared towards plowing so pedestrians of all ability levels can move comfortably and thinking about compiling one of my own.30 Jan 2026 20:20 +0000at://did:plc:4u4lc7numpgmmsgc7i3kivpn/app.bsky.feed.post/3mdo4tgeshs2thttps://bsky.app/profile/keawilson.bsky.social/post/3mdlp2hlkx227Maybe someday, more politicians will give full-throated support to multimodal transportation policies because the climate emergency demands it. But until they do: *call it a safety policy.* Because it'll have the same emissions benefit either way. https://usa.streetsblog.org/2026/01/29/improving-road-safety-is-a-win-for-the-climate-too29 Jan 2026 21:08 +0000at://did:plc:4u4lc7numpgmmsgc7i3kivpn/app.bsky.feed.post/3mdlp2hlkx227https://bsky.app/profile/keawilson.bsky.social/post/3mdkxjdoch226ok so who's going to invite me, Kea Wilson, to moderate a panel featuring Portland mayor Keith Wilson and Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson, thereby unleashing Maximum Multimodal Wilson. https://bikeportland.org/2026/01/26/mayor-wilson-we-have-to-be-the-biggest-bike-mode-city-in-the-nation-39905529 Jan 2026 14:06 +0000at://did:plc:4u4lc7numpgmmsgc7i3kivpn/app.bsky.feed.post/3mdkxjdoch226https://bsky.app/profile/keawilson.bsky.social/post/3mdj3wwihsk2rIf you need a break from The Horrors, I dug into a wonky but super important bill that would make it possible to use transportation funds to build housing and other important destinations near transit, and why TOD deserves a lot more airtime in the conversation about building livable places. https://usa.streetsblog.org/2026/01/28/a-few-legal-tweaks-could-unlock-a-mother-lode-of-housing-near-transit28 Jan 2026 20:20 +0000at://did:plc:4u4lc7numpgmmsgc7i3kivpn/app.bsky.feed.post/3mdj3wwihsk2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/keawilson.bsky.social/post/3mdj3ubxgbs2rOn the most basic level, transportation reform advocates need to speak out about ICE violence because it is a barrier to movement for countless migrants, brown people, protestors, and anyone else who ICE targets. But there are deeper reasons why this is our issue, too. Explored a few on the pod. https://usa.streetsblog.org/2026/01/27/whats-a-transportation-reformers-role-in-the-fight-against-ice-violence28 Jan 2026 20:19 +0000at://did:plc:4u4lc7numpgmmsgc7i3kivpn/app.bsky.feed.post/3mdj3ubxgbs2r