Tuesday’s Headlines to Start the Week
Lots of news from the holiday Monday.
By
Blake Aued
7:08 AM EST on January 19, 2021
- President-elect Joe Biden’s $1.9-trillion American Rescue Plan includes $20 billion for transit (Mass Transit Mag). But concerns remain about how the money will be distributed, whether it will be enough and whether it can even get through Congress (Streetsblog USA).
- As mayor of South Bend, incoming Transportation Pete Buttigieg challenged the auto-centric status quo by building bike lanes and implementing a Complete Streets policy. (Washington Post)
- Transportation is a public health issue: COVID-19 vaccines are here, but not everyone has a way to get to them. (NBC News)
- The once-chaotic e-scooter industry looks like it’s finally breaking through to profitability. (Reuters)
- Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker signed a $16-billion transportation bill that will extend to passenger rail lines and modernize the system, but he also vetoed higher fees for Uber and Lyft rides, shot down a low-income fare program and declined to reverse transit service cuts. (NBC Boston)
- Amtrak has returned to DuPont, near Seattle, for the first time since a deadly 2017 derailment. (Post-Intelligencer)
- A year after B-Cycle disappeared, Denver’s transportation department is rolling out a new micromobility program with a mix of docked and dockless e-bikes and e-scooters. (Denverite)
- Texas has committed $600 million to Vision Zero, but it’s also facing a $1.9-billion drop in gas-tax revenue. Ideas include making big-rig drivers pay and charging a fee on electric and hybrid vehicles. (KSAT)
- Miami-Dade is trading in its pollution-belching diesel school buses for an electric fleet. (Miami Herald)
- Even in auto-centric Houston, residents want to live in a 15-minute city. (Rice Kinder)
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
Talking Headways Podcast: Second-Hand E-Bikes Can Be The Way Forward
Upway is helping people, even AOC, get an e-bike.
April 16, 2026
Florida Town Gives New Residents Free Golf Carts to Replace Their Cars
...and recording their highest sales numbers ever.
April 16, 2026
Thursday’s Headlines Shouldn’t Have to Buy a Car
Average Americans are getting priced out of the auto market, which is just another reason to invest in alternatives.
April 16, 2026
Where the Hottest Blocks in Your City Are — And How To Cool Them Down
A cutting-edge tool is helping city leaders identify where they most badly need street trees, bus shelters, and more.
April 15, 2026
Wednesday’s Headlines Hop on Board Carefully
Riding the bus is safe. Walking to and from the bus stop, not so much.
April 15, 2026
