Monday’s Headlines from the Sun to the Snow
Why can't we have a bullet train for $6 a ride? That question and more answered in today's news digest.
By
Blake Aued
12:01 AM EST on February 1, 2021
- With GM going all-electric by 2035, the U.S. has some serious work to do on its power grid and needs to build a network of charging stations. (New York Times)
- The CEO of an Irish shipping company suggests that cities should require that delivery vehicles be electric (CNBC). But how is that going to reduce congestion?
- Transportation Secretary nominee Pete Buttigieg was on NPR‘s “All Things Considered” to talk about climate change, transit funding and other topics.
- Political leadership is the biggest factor in committing to Vision Zero and seeing it through (The City Fix). On a related note, political blowback usually means congestion pricing proposals are DOA (Price Tags).
- Investment in property or bigger subsidies through various types of taxes can help pandemic-proof transit. (City Monitor)
- The Bay Area’s transportation commission divvied up the latest round of COVID relief funds, with BART and San Francisco Muni receiving the largest shares. (Examiner)
- A San Antonio council member and former transit planner appointed to a National League of Cities post plans to use her new position to advocate for federal transportation funding. (KSAT)
- A Federal Transit Administration grant will pay for the D.C. Metro to test air filtration and UV technologies that could reduce the spread of coronavirus. (DCist)
- The Seattle DOT says lowering speed limits and pedestrian-first intersections could reduce the number of people on foot killed by drivers by half. (MyNorthwest)
- A majority of New Yorkers are in favor of protected bike lanes, bus lanes and wider sidewalks — even motorists who would lose parking spaces. (Streetsblog)
- Tampa churchgoers are big mad that the city government wants them to pay for parking like everyone else. (Tampa Bay Times)
- Helsinki is adding 105 stations and 1,050 bikes to its bike-share network. (Eltis)
- A Spanish bullet train carries passengers between Madrid and Barcelona for just $6. (CNN)
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
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
Monday’s Headlines Are On the Ballot
Will you have an opportunity to fund transit when you go to the polls on November 3?
October 19, 2026
