- 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
Best of 2024: Yes, People Bike In ‘Bad’ Weather — If We Support Them
Good policy can mean the difference between people getting in the saddle or not — even when Mother Nature is at her worst.
December 26, 2024
Tuesday’s Headlines Are the Reason for the Season
An MTA worker's delightful after-work hobby, a viral sidewalk meme revisited and a few wonkier deep dives to get you through the holidays.
December 24, 2024
Best of 2024: The Real (Disappointing) Reason Why Gen Z Is Getting Fewer Drivers Licenses
Yes, fewer young adults are getting behind the wheel. No, it doesn't mean car culture is doomed.
December 24, 2024
Streetsblog Year in Review: The Biggest Sustainable Transport News of 2024
It was a busy year in the movement to end car dependency — and there's a lot more to come.
December 23, 2024
Monday’s Headlines Are Knocked Out by Greenways
Greenways are helping to revitalize cities, but how well are they integrated into the overall transportation system?
December 23, 2024
