Tuesday’s Headlines Because You’re on a Roll
Transit is always needed. But the places where it is needed change over time. That plus the rest of the news of the day.
By
Blake Aued
12:01 AM EST on January 26, 2021
- In addition to the short-term drop in ridership, the pandemic poses a long-term threat to public transit by accelerating the trend of working from home and a migration away from dense cities. In response, agencies’ focus is shifting away from white-collar commutes. (Politico)
- West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin wants to spend $4 trillion on infrastructure, which sounds like a staggering amount of money but might not be enough. If it included $250 billion for transit, that would only pay for high-speed rail in California and the Northeast corridor, for example. (Vice)
- Mayors are urging future Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to send more money directly to cities, rather than routing it through states that might not share the same policy goals. (Route Fifty)
- Something is wrong with this picture: Demand for gasoline is up, but that hasn’t led to an increase in supply or higher prices. (AAA)
- A coalition of 74 traffic safety organizations are calling on President Biden to commit to zero traffic deaths by 2050. (Streetsblog)
- Uber and Lyft spent nearly $5 million combined lobbying Washington for favorable labor rules. (Marketwatch)
- Federal regulators are trying to figure out how to enforce Biden’s mask mandate for interstate travelers. (CNN)
- New York’s Metropolitan Transit Authority received a federal grant to study how coronavirus moves through the air on mass transit, potentially restoring riders’ confidence in its safety. (WAMC)
- Charlotte’s ambitious mobility plan could transform the city — if it can find billions of dollars to pay for it. (Agenda)
- Fighting words? The Philadelphia Inquirer’s architecture critic calls New York City’s Moynihan Train Hall a “romanticized stage-set version” of a train station and says Philadelphia can do better.
- Washington Gov. Jay Inslee is halting highway projects to free up money to remove barriers to salmon habitats. (Everett Herald)
- The Gainesville Sun wants the Florida city to stop simply paying lip service to bike and pedestrian safety.
- Bus rapid transit is losing support among metro Atlanta mayors. (Reporter)
- Treehugger tested and ranked the best shared e-scooters, with Lime topping the list.
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.
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