Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
Streetsblog

Wednesday’s Headlines with Lots of Buttigieg News

12:01 AM EST on February 3, 2021

    • The Senate voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to confirm Pete Buttigieg as transportation secretary. The first openly gay person confirmed to a Cabinet post (Guardian) has an unusually high profile for the position and brings legions of social-media fans with him (Politico). Complaints raised by the 13 Republicans who voted against him included his “radical” environmental policies and fears that the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana will favor urban areas (Fox News).
    • A Washington Post investigation found that the feds looked more favorably on transit projects that served primarily White users, even under President Obama.
    • Meanwhile, safe-streets advocates wrote an op-ed in the same esteemed paper urging President Biden, whose first wife and daughter were killed in a car crash, to pledge to end traffic deaths by 2050. 
    • Unions and trade groups are seeking a total of $112 billion in additional government coronavirus assistance, including $39 billion for transit agencies and $40 billion for bus and ferry companies. (Reuters)
    • As Streetsblog previously reported, a Senate bill would provide $10 billion for cities to knock down urban freeways. (City Lab)
    • Houston’s regional transportation board remains dominated by White men after a majority voted to keep two nominated women — one Black, the other a transit official — out of leadership positions. (Chronicle)
    • As part of a potential major expansion, Amtrak is considering routes for a new line through Cleveland that could connect it to Cincinnati and Columbus (which raises the question: such a line doesn't exist yet?). (Plain Dealer)
    • New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, who’s up for re-election this year, hasn’t fixed the state’s transit as promised, but he’s made progress. (North Jersey)
    • Ridership on Portland's Westside Express commuter rail line has fallen so far that it costs TriMet $108 per ride. Transit advocates say the suburban line should be extended and run more frequently. (KGW)
    • A bill in the Washington legislature would require Uber and Lyft to reduce their emissions. (Crosscut)
    • New technology can help Nashville improve safety and reduce congestion by providing a way for delivery drivers to book and pay for curb space. (Smart Cities World)
    • Virginia Tech is using CARES Act funding to refund students’ transit fees. (Roanoke Times)
    • Inside a Dutch politician’s quest to convince Lego to add bike lanes to its plastic-brick cities. (The Verge)

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Car Noise Pollution is Worse in Redlined Neighborhoods — And Not Just for Humans

Transportation noise pollution can wreak havoc on wildlife populations, too — and that can have a devastating effect on their human neighbors.

December 6, 2023

Tuesday’s Headlines Are Getting Warmer

EVs and renewables are not going to be enough to stave off a climate catastrophe, scientists are warning officials at an international conference.

December 5, 2023

How (And Why) To Start a Delivery Bike Revolution

Delivery vans and trucks are responsible for nearly a third of urban emissions, and a lot of congestion and traffic violence, too. Here's how cities can replace many of them with clean, safe cargo bikes.

December 5, 2023
See all posts