Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
Streetsblog.net

Obama’s Stimulus: Too Much Emphasis on Roads and Bridges?

There's a lot of reaction from members of the the Streetsblog Network to President-elect Obama's address this weekend. Some transit advocates, like The Transport Politic, are putting a positive spin on it, and Ryan Avent at The Bellows says, "it’s really amazing to see the wave of public intellectual criticism [for] Obama’s potential stimulus plan." Avent adds, in another post:

I have yet to see is any evidence that Obama intends to embark on amajor program of new road construction. And until we see definitiveevidence of something like that, transit supporters really ought tocalm down.

But others -- like Cap'n Transit -- are hearing the refrain "roads and bridges" way too many times. Trains for America puts it this way:

We here at TFA, along with practically every other blog about non-autotransportation, have been holding our breaths waiting for anything atall substantive about how the Obama administration is going to takeadvantage of this unique time to refocus attention on our overcrowdedand underfunded transit systems.

What do you think?

Also on Streetsblog.net today, a post from The Overhead Wire about the lack of transit power brokers with the political will of Robert Moses.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Tuesday’s Headlines Keep Our Eyes on the Road

How much responsibility do tech companies bear for traffic deaths caused by distracted driving?

March 24, 2026

Why This State Is Fighting To Get Its First ‘Active Transportation Plan’

...and why other states should work to adopt or update plans of their own.

March 23, 2026

Monday’s Headlines Are Stuck Behind a Robot

Cities will soon be inundated with autonomous vehicles that will create even more traffic congestion. Are cities prepared?

March 23, 2026

Op-Ed: Don’t Let Fear Flatten Progress on E-Bikes

Advocates react to E-bike legislation in California, New Jersey, and beyond.

March 20, 2026

Friday Video: Guess Which Argument Can Get a NIMBY To Change Their Mind About New Housing

Put your instincts to the test with this fascinating experiment about the power of messaging to win support for urbanism.

March 20, 2026

Friday’s Headlines Took the Road Less Traveled By

And that has made all the difference, when it comes to preventing traffic deaths.

March 20, 2026
See all posts