- In 2009, the U.S. spent $28 billion on roads and bridges and just $8 billion on high-speed rail — a drop in the bucket — as part of the Obama stimulus package. Sure, infrastructure projects create jobs, but will politicians learn their lesson this time and stop building so many highways? (New York Times)
- U.S. highways were often intentionally built through communities of color (NPR). Related: U.S. PIRG remembers highway boondoggles of the past, like the Massachusetts Turnpike, which plowed through Boston neighborhoods in the 1960s.
- Building a self-driving car has turned out to be harder than tech startups expected, so they’re teaming up with deep-pocketed automakers like Ford and Hyundai (Wired). Meanwhile, Lyft is resuming test-driving its autonomous cars in California after a three-month pandemic pause (Fortune).
- A new platform is collecting ideas from cities and transportation groups on how to improve mobility during the pandemic. (Eltis)
- Parking guru Donald Shoup writes in City Lab that congestion pricing could help Los Angeles avoid the coming carpocalypse once people start working again and get back on the road. A pilot program is set for 2021.
- Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan is asking voters to approve a sales-tax fund of up to $30 million to help the city’s transit system recover from the pandemic (KOMO). Meanwhile, King County might paper over some of transit’s losses by canceling workers’ raises (Seattle Times).
- E-bikes are back in Washington, D.C. after Capital Bikeshare pulled them last year over concerns about braking. (WTOP)
- A new study by Uber and several metro Cincinnati governments lays out a path to improve public transit. (Medium)
- San Diego (Pacific) and Tulsa (KTUL) are the latest cities to let restaurants set up tables and chairs on sidewalks and in parking lots.
- Road diets are planned for six Milwaukee streets. (Urban Milwaukee)
Streetsblog
Thursday’s Headlines From Around the Nation
By Blake Aued
Stay in touch
Sign up for our free newsletter
More from Streetsblog USA
Why Transit Advocates Aren’t 100% Behind This Senator’s Bold Bill To Slash Highway Funding
A new Republican bill could bring rampant highway overspending to a halt and slash emissions by one-fifth. But don't get too excited because it would hurt transit, too.
March 17, 2026
Tuesday’s Headlines Are Underwater
More and more people can't afford their car payments or associated costs — which wouldn't be as big of a problem if they had a choice other than driving.
March 17, 2026
What If The Rising Costs of Car Dependency Were As Visible As Gas Prices?
Gas station billboards remind U.S. residents every day that driving is getting more expensive. What if they told a different message about the high costs of our autocentric transportation system?
March 16, 2026
Hired Actors, Paid Media: Big Tech Has Dumped $8M Into Car Insurance Rate Cut
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul's scheme to bring down insurance costs is backed by Uber cash and ads with professional actors.
Monday’s Headlines Zero In
Traffic deaths are going down, and they'd decline further if cities stopped letting residents block safety projects.
March 16, 2026
Trump’s Oil Crisis Is Already Costing Massachusetts Drivers Over $2.4 Million A Day In Higher Gas Prices
Massachusetts drivers are now cumulatively spending $20.9 million a day at the pump – more than twice the daily cost of operating the entire MBTA system.
