Tuesday’s Headlines
Looks the ol’ swamp still needs some draining: Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao intervened on behalf of allies of her husband, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, to get grants approved in their home state of Kentucky. (Politico) Cities with the highest rents also tend to be the cities with the worst traffic problems. The most egalitarian … Continued
By
Blake Aued
4:15 PM EDT on June 11, 2019
- Looks the ol’ swamp still needs some draining: Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao intervened on behalf of allies of her husband, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, to get grants approved in their home state of Kentucky. (Politico)
- Cities with the highest rents also tend to be the cities with the worst traffic problems. The most egalitarian solution — congestion pricing sends the message that city centers aren’t for the poor — is to build more housing near transit and jobs, writes a Bloomberg columnist.
- Lyft-Owned Motivate is suing San Francisco over whether the city can let in bike-share competitors. But the dispute is bigger than that, according to Wired — it’s another front in the Uber vs. Lyft war, and whether private monopolies can limit access to what should be a public good. Meanwhile, a retired professor is suing Uber and Lyft, claiming they’re infringing on his patent for GPS and cellphone billing technology (Daily Report).
- The Federal Rail Administration announced a $33 million grant to help restore Amtrak service along the Gulf Coast. (Fox 10)
- Honolulu leaders hand-delivered a revised light-rail plan to the Federal Transit Administration in hopes that the personal touch would lead the FTA to finally release $744 million in federal funds. (Civil Beat)
- The Colorado DOT is considering widening or double-decking I-25 through Denver, but seems to be leaning toward transit and incentives like congestion pricing instead (Denverite). But as Streetsblog Denver points out, the agency’s already eliminated the most progressive option: tearing down the freeway and replacing it with an urban boulevard.
- Cincinnati city council members want to raise parking fines and use digital ad revenue to plug a $1.2 million hole in the streetcar’s projected operating budget. (WCPO)
- A new stretch of Atlanta’s PATH400 trail linking the Lindbergh and Buckhead neighborhoods opens this fall (AJC). Curbed also has a photo essay on the underutilized trail system.
- The arrival of e-bikes in Portland is being pushed back to 2020. (Willamette Week)
- Why are D.C. Metro subways so windy? (City Lab)
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:
Streetsblog has migrated to a new comment system. New commenters can register directly in the comments section of any article. Returning commenters: your previous comments and display name have been preserved, but you'll need to reclaim your account by clicking "Forgot your password?" on the sign-in form, entering your email, and following the verification link to set a new password — this is required because passwords could not be carried over during the migration. For questions, contact tips@streetsblog.org.
More from Streetsblog USA
Wednesday’s Headlines Remain Deadly by Design
Congress should tie transportation funding to measurable improvements in safety, says Transportation for America.
September 30, 2026
Op-Ed: The Problem with Trump’s DC Golf Course Takeover Isn’t What You Think
Many advocates of walkable communities loathe urban golf courses. One urbanist argues that with good policy, his DC course can be the exception to the rule — if the Trump administration doesn't ruin it.
September 30, 2026
Advocates Warn Short-Term Transit Cuts Could Foreshadow Deeper Long-Term Slashing
A deeper dive on the transit cuts in the latest federal transportation extension bill – and how advocates are fighting back.
September 29, 2026
We Don’t Need to Ban Pick Up Trucks to Take Action on Vehicle Safety
There’s so much middle ground and low hanging fruit as far as reducing deaths and injuries caused by super large consumer vehicles. Here are three modest safety half-measures that should be a no-brainer.
September 29, 2026
Tuesday’s Headlines Look to the Future
Obviously, what we're doing in the U.S. transportation-wise isn't working so well. So what does the future hold?
September 29, 2026
