- The Trump administration declined to investigate allegations of potentially criminal ethics violations against former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, including some that could have benefited her husband, then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. (Mother Jones)
- Chao also, as it turns out, previously approved an upstate New York bridge and a Bay Area rail line that Republicans later attacked as pork-barrel spending when they were included in the COVID relief bill. (Roll Call)
- Current Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg embraced the “fix it first” mantra of infrastructure maintenance over new projects at a Bloomberg gathering of urban leaders.
- Volvo will go all-electric by 2030 — the latest carmaker to ditch internal combustion. (Treehugger)
- As deliveries increase, electric vans can help meet climate goals. (Globe and Mail)
- The Virginia legislature rejected a proposal for the state’s largest utility to get into the electric school bus business. (Virginia Mercury)
- How green are electric vehicles, anyway? It depends on where the electricity comes from, and pollution from manufacturing and old batteries count, too. (New York Times)
- The federal mask mandate for public transit is still in place despite Texas Gov. Greg Abbott lifting coronavirus restrictions. (Houston Chronicle)
- Hillsborough County is aiming for another transportation sales tax referendum in 2022 after the Florida Supreme Court recently struck down the 2018 vote. (Tampa Bay Times)
- The Utah legislature is nearing an agreement on borrowing more than $1 billion for transportation projects, including $600 million for transit. (Salt Lake Tribune)
- Seattle’s Sound Transit is considering an employer head tax to close an $11 billion budget deficit. (My Northwest)
- Charlotte’s plans for a massive transit expansion are under attack by residents who fear it will spell the end of single-family zoning. (Observer)
- Toll revenue earmarked for transit will drop by $400 million next year, but Pennsylvania lawmakers don’t have much of a sense of urgency to replace the funding. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
- Snowbi Wan Kenobi, F. Salt Fitzgerald and, of course, Plowy McPlowFace are among the internet's names for new Minnesota DOT snow plows.
Streetsblog
Thursday’s Headlines For You And Yours
By Blake Aued
Stay in touch
Sign up for our free newsletter
More from Streetsblog USA
Study: Boring Roads End Up With More Injuries For People Outside Cars
And beautiful roads report fewer.
August 21, 2025
Thursday’s Headlines Are Faster Than a Speeding Bullet Train
Amtrak lost a champion in Joe Biden just as new, more advanced trains are set to start running up and down the East Coast.
August 21, 2025
OPINION: NYC Has Noise Cameras To Catch Loud Cars. Why Aren’t We Funding It?
The Adams administration is supposed to install 25 of them by the end of September. What's going on?
Advocates Beg DOT Sec. Duffy to Give Up Space and Fix Transit On Earth
Transportation Secretary/acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy wants to put a nuclear reactor on the moon. But a lot of Americans just want the bus to come on time.
August 20, 2025
Wednesday’s Headlines Make Our Own Rules
For almost 100 years, speed limits have been set based on some of the fastest drivers. Now cities are starting to realize that's not a great idea.
August 20, 2025
OPINION: What Do You Call a Cyclist Who’s Been Hit By an E-Biker?
Much as our contributor hates to admit it, she thinks twice every time she gets on her bike since being hit by an e-bike.
