- Michael Bloomberg and Pete Buttigieg have the best among a sad lot of presidential candidates' transportation plans, according to Transportation for America.
- The Federal Transit Administration announced its New Starts grants for 2021. Among the projects rated highly are a Kansas City streetcar extension (KSHB), double-tracking a rail line between Gary and Michigan City (Northwest Indiana Times) and Pittsburgh bus rapid transit (Post-Gazette). New Jersey’s Portal Bridge made the cut, but not the Hudson River "Gateway" project (WLNY). A low ranking could also imperil the Gold Line in Minneapolis (Star Tribune).
- Houston residents want transit and sidewalks, not wider freeways. (Chronicle)
- Under Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam’s transportation plan, local governments can get funding to run free or reduced fare pilot programs. (Greater Greater Washington)
- A Miami chef’s death on the Venetian Causeway, a popular bike route to Miami Beach, is leading fellow cyclists to call for a protected bike lane. (Herald)
- Commuting without a car in Seattle requires trade-offs, and one planner says the city should look to the Dutch for answers. (KUOW)
- An energy company has stepped up with funding to expand Milwaukee streetcar service during the Democratic National Convention. (WISN)
- Charlotte’s Silver Line is supposed to connect the city to the airport, but it will actually stop a mile short. (Charlotte Mag)
- Austin drivers killed 11 people in January — almost triple the number from a year prior. (Smart Cities Dive)
- Detroit’s McNichols Road is getting new sidewalks, crosswalks and bus shelters. (WDET)
- Halfway through its 20-year bike plan, Portland is on track to build 327 miles of bikeways — just half of a more ambitious goal in the plan, leaving bike advocates disappointed. (Mercury)
- Phoenix officials are considering raising fines for jaywalking. As one opponent points out, that would mainly affect low-income people who cross where they feel safe, as opposed to walking a half mile or more to a crosswalk. (ABC 15)
- San Francisco bus drivers are having to commute further and further to work because housing costs have pushed them out of the city, so Muni is considering providing housing for them near transit stations (Examiner). That’s also the topic of this month’s Rail-volution podcast, hosted by The Overhead Wire’s Jeff Wood, who also hosts Streetsblog’s Talking Headways podcast (newest episode here).
- Park before the romance starts tomorrow: Police in Montgomery County, Maryland are stepping up distracted driving patrols on Valentine’s Day. (WTOP)
Today's Headlines
Thursday’s Headlines
By Blake Aued
Stay in touch
Sign up for our free newsletter
More from Streetsblog USA
Wednesday’s Headlines Think Globally, Act Locally
In a world where the federal government is aligned against all your goals, what else can you do?
February 5, 2025
Study: You’re Not That Much Safer In a 4,000+ Pound Car
For decades, American car buyers believed that bigger = safer. A new study finds that rule appears to have hit a ceiling.
February 5, 2025
Op-Ed: Reviewing America’s First (and Last?) Federal ‘Reconnecting Communities’ Pilot
The Biden administration exhausted the funds of the first-in-the-nation Reconnecting Communities program before they left office. But how did they spend the money — and what can we learn about how to do better next time, if advocates ever get another bite at the apple?
February 5, 2025
Tuesday’s Headlines Are a Sanctuary
The Trump administration's latest threat would withhold funding from many big-city transit agencies and transportation projects in some blue states with "sanctuary" policies on immigration.
February 4, 2025
This Automaker Is Attacking Sustainable Transportation Even More Than You Think
The world's largest automaker has been ramping up spending to put climate change deniers in Congress, and crushing support for all kinds of sustainable modes in the process.
February 4, 2025
