Friday’s Headlines
The U.S. has an 80-year backlog of bridge repairs, according to a new report from a road-builders’ group that could ratchet up pressure on President Trump and Congress to finally produce a bipartisan infrastructure bill. (USA Today) Lyft’s already underpaid drivers who took advantage of a chance to buy company stock are now losing money … Continued
By
Blake Aued
12:01 AM EDT on April 5, 2019
- The U.S. has an 80-year backlog of bridge repairs, according to a new report from a road-builders’ group that could ratchet up pressure on President Trump and Congress to finally produce a bipartisan infrastructure bill. (USA Today)
- Lyft’s already underpaid drivers who took advantage of a chance to buy company stock are now losing money as its IPO tanks (CNBC). If you prefer your Uber and Lyft IPO news with a side of snark, Splinter is the site for you.
- The U.S. needs a single, universal card or app to pay for transit on any system. (City Lab)
- Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed a compromise 10.5-cent gas tax hike that doubles transit funding to a slightly-less-paltry $70 million (Cleveland Scene). But the law also makes it harder for communities to install cameras that catch drivers running red lights (Plain Dealer).
- Portland’s Metro Council has concerns about a state plan to widen I-5, including whether the project will accommodate walking and biking (KATU). The wider freeway would loom over an existing biking and walking path, reports Willamette Week. Not only shouldn’t I-5 be widened, the Congress for New Urbanism thinks it should be torn down, as Streetsblog reported.
- Meanwhile, in Louisiana, almost half of a proposed gas-tax hike would go toward widening I-20. (Bossier Now)
- New York Mayor Bill de Blasio threw out plans to spend $4 billion to repair a short segment of the outdated Brooklyn-Queens Expressway. Maybe he’ll just tear the damn thing down. (Politico, Streetsblog NYC)
- St. Paul is the latest city left without a bike-share, as Lime is pulling out after less than a year. (Star Tribune)
- Philadelphia is the ninth-most-congested city in the U.S. but has no plans to follow New York by introducing congestion pricing. (NBC 10)
- A Toronto pilot project that prioritizes streetcar traffic has led to growing ridership and should be made permanent, says a new city report. (CBC)
- Despite the potholes, lack of bike lanes and irate drivers, this Curbed writer still loves biking in Atlanta.
Blake Aued has been doing Streetsblog's daily national news digest for years. He's also an Atlanta Braves fan, which enrages his editor in New York.
Read More:
More from Streetsblog USA
Friday Video: Five Bike Advocacy Mistakes You Don’t Even Know You’re Making
For one thing, make sure that political leaders who say "no" to livable streets experience consequences for their decisions.
March 27, 2026
Friday’s Headlines Take a Free Ride
Waymo has remote response teams, but when a robotaxi gets stuck, emergency responders have to get behind the wheel.
March 27, 2026
Despite Spin, Calif.’s Transportation Commission Funded a Lot of Highway Expansion Last Week
The gaslighting is almost as bad as the funding decisions.
March 26, 2026
Talking Headways Podcast: Congestion Pricing Data Collection
New York's congestion pricing data whiz discusses the program's first year.
March 26, 2026
How DC’s Mayor and Council Chair Thwarted Every Effort to Better Its Streetcar
There are two reasons why D.C. doesn't have the streetcar system it was promised — and their names are Mayor Muriel Bowser and DC Council Chair Phil Mendelson, one urbanist argues.
March 26, 2026
Comments Are Temporarily Disabled
Streetsblog is in the process of migrating our commenting system. During this transition, commenting is temporarily unavailable.
Once the migration is complete, you will be able to log back in and will have full access to your comment history. We appreciate your patience and look forward to having you back in the conversation soon.