Wednesday’s Headlines Include a Big Promotion
Mayor Pete is soon to be Secretary Pete, as Joe Biden named former rival Buttigieg to the top transportation post in his administration.
By
Blake Aued
12:01 AM EST on December 16, 2020
- Despite having little formal policy expertise — although he did put out a detailed infrastructure plan during his presidential campaign — Pete Buttigieg is Joe Biden’s choice as transportation secretary. The former South Bend mayor only recently emerged as a strong candidate for the position (Politico). Streetsblog Chicago‘s John Greenfield is glad Biden didn’t pick the divisive ex-mayor Rahm Emmanuel, but as Streetsblog USA‘s Kea Wilson points out, some of the Black Lives Matter issues that dogged Emmanuel also apply to Buttigieg. Others, though, praised his ambition, Rust Belt background and on-the-ground experience.
- Still no new money for transit agencies, but the Federal Transit Administration extended the deadline to apply for existing emergency funds. (Railway Age)
- Uber has 30 days to pay a $59 million fine and answer questions about sexual assaults or lose its license to operate in California. (The Verge)
- A divided Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority board approved drastic transit cuts that will take effect early next year, including reducing frequency, eliminating 20 bus routes and curtailing weekend commuter rail service. (NBC 10)
- Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan wants to raid $250 million from the state transportation trust fund to settle the Purple Line lawsuit, which could endanger other road and transit projects. (Maryland Matters)
- Atlanta needs $2.6 billion to fix all the sidewalks, roads and bridges that are in disrepair, says its new transportation commissioner. For context, that’s about four times the city’s entire discretionary budget. (Saporta Report)
- Oregon has sharply limited parking requirements statewide for attached homes and houses on small lots as part of the state’s 2019 “middle housing” law increasing density in single-family neighborhoods. (Sightline)
- Austin received a $900,000 federal grant to help avoid displacing residents with the Project Connect transit expansion. (KUVE)
- The FTA also announced a $41 million grant for Milwaukee’s East-West bus rapid transit line. (On Milwaukee)
- Lyft has added Miami-Dade public transit to its app. (Intelligent Transport)
- Reports that London will rip out almost 800 docking stations and 12,000 “Boris bikes” are incorrect. (Forbes)
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
When Are Parking Debates Just A Smokescreen for Hate?
A new paper finds that mosques are more likely to face pushback over parking than other houses of worship. What should planners do about it?
October 20, 2026
Tuesday’s Headlines Do the Robot
Cities and states are filling the void, but the feds really need to step in to set rules for autonomous vehicles.
October 20, 2026
The Math On Car Ownership For New Parents Doesn’t Add Up
An expecting Oakland parent makes the case for car-free parenting.
October 20, 2026
Why US Roads Are Full of SUVs and Trucks, Part I
Everyone says that Americans just love SUVs and pick-ups. But is that really true — or are there solvable structural reasons why our streets look like a monster truck rally?
October 19, 2026
Aging in Place Is a Mobility Problem, Too
How Spain is going the extra mile to help seniors age in place, even if doing it is an uphill climb.
October 19, 2026
