Tuesday’s Headlines for the People of Our Nation
Nobody was a fan of Bruce Springsteen's Jeep ad. Plus all the other news of the day.
By
Blake Aued
12:01 AM EST on February 9, 2021
- Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is saying all the right things. He wants to make the U.S. a world leader in high-speed rail (The Hill). He met with transit workers at Washington, D.C.’s Union Station to discuss funding plans and the new federal mask mandate (DCist). And he tweeted that “roads aren’t just for vehicles —they are for people.”
- A coalition of 22 transit agencies led by New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority is lobbying Congress for another $39 billion in federal funding to get through the pandemic. (Railway Age)
- The pandemic has encouraged cities to cut red tape and experiment with curb space. (City Monitor)
- Cities should add bike lanes and docking stations to support e-scooters. (U.S. PIRG)
- Seattle’s Sound Transit is wrapping up work on three Northgate Link light rail stations. (My Northwest)
- Pittsburghers for Public Transportation wants the Port Authority to use COVID relief funds to give low-income riders free transit passes. (Post-Gazette)
- The St. Paul city council unanimously opposes widening I-94. (Pioneer Press)
- The Omaha World-Herald got behind Vision Zero because, as the editorial board notes, drivers kill more people than murderers each year, yet traffic safety isn’t given nearly as much attention as homicides.
- Madison is rerouting buses off State Street in preparation for a bus rapid transit line — one step toward making it a true pedestrian-only corridor. (Wisconsin State Journal)
- B-Cycle is back in Greenville, South Carolina. (WSPA)
- British hub-and-spoke transit systems don’t serve women well because women are more likely than men to chain together short trips. There aren’t enough female stakeholders despite the fact that women make up the majority of transit users. (This Big City)
- In Germany, cars generally have the right of way, but a new law makes Berlin streets safer for pedestrians. (Deutsche Welle)
- Uber Eats’ “Wayne’s World” Super Bowl commercial made Eater Chicago want to hurl. And nobody was a fan of the Bruce Springsteen Jeep ad (Refinery 29).
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
Why BUILD America 250 Would Be Uniquely Bad For Passenger Rail
Congress' first draft of the new infrastructure law would be a massive step backwards for passenger rail, one advocacy group says — and not just because the last one raised the bar.
May 27, 2026
Wednesday’s Headlines Missed an Opportunity
The BUILD America 250 Act is headed for a House vote, and it looks like more of the status quo for federal transportation funding.
May 27, 2026
California Climate Funding Fight Pits Transit and Housing Advocates Against Oil Industry Giveaways
In a time when global events are sceaming, "WE NEED TO MOVE AWAY FROM FOSSIL FUELS," California considers a measure to cut transit (and affordable housing) funding to reduce oil prices.
May 26, 2026
Tuesday’s Headlines Have Long COVID
More on transit and passenger rail's slow recovery from the pandemic.
May 26, 2026
How Phoenix’s ‘Invisible’ Parking Lots Are Making Its Heat Problems Worse
How did parking lots swallow one of America's hottest cities — and make it even hotter?
May 26, 2026