Wednesday’s Headlines Offer Help for Transit
Pete Buttigieg talks equity, and a new round of COVID relief should get transit agencies through the pandemic, all in today's headlines.
By
Blake Aued
12:01 AM EST on March 10, 2021
- Ridiculed in some quarters as “Mayo Pete” during his presidential run, Pete Buttigieg has addressed racial justice in nearly every interview since becoming transportation secretary, calling for undoing decades’ worth of transportation policies that have decimated minority communities. But is it just talk? (Politico)
- While they’re being cautious until the bill is passed, transit officials nationwide say the $30 billion included in the American Rescue Plan, combined with past cash infusions, should be enough to get them through the pandemic. (Washington Post)
- About $1.4 billion in coronavirus relief funds is likely headed to the Washington, D.C. region, enough to stabilize Metro’s budget through 2022 (Post). Chicago transit will get $1.5 billion (WGLT). North Carolina cities will receive $200 million (Port City Daily). Massachusetts officials say they aren’t sure how much to expect, but they’d rather rely on the feds than the state to make up for lost fare revenue (Commonwealth).
- Car travel is almost back to pre-pandemic levels in New York City, but bus ridership is still down by half, and subway ridership has been even slower to recover. (NY Times)
- Bus lanes are a step in the right direction, but the Texas DOT seems adamant about adding more car lanes to I-10 in Houston despite the challenges and opposition from the neighborhoods affected. (Houston Chronicle)
- It’s been a bumpy road, but one California state senator sees the light at the end of the tunnel for the Los Angeles-San Francisco high-speed rail line. (SF Chronicle)
- Georgia transit officials are offering to cut their share of a transportation sales tax if reluctant suburban Atlanta mayors restore transit projects for an upcoming referendum on the tax. (Marietta Daily Journal)
- Decriminalizing jaywalking — an invention of automakers to begin with— in Virginia removed a pretext for police to stop Black and brown people. (NBC 12)
- Lime is bringing 300 e-scooters to Richmond. (Biz Sense)
- This University of North Carolina student gets it. (Daily Tar Heel)
- Broward County, Florida, is holding a virtual contest this month to see who can bike the most miles. (Sun-Sentinel)
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:
More from Streetsblog USA
Why Cities Need More ‘Agile’ Streets
When projects are routed through a full capital-improvement workflow, solutions tend toward expensive, permanent interventions — not alternatives that might achieve 80 percent of the benefit at 10 percent of the cost.
March 26, 2026
Wednesday’s Headlines Feel Pain at the Pump
High gas prices are likely to persist, and people will be driving less in response.
March 25, 2026
D.C. Advocates Sue To Save Key Bike Lane From Trump Teardown
We previously reported that the Trump administration might soon move to dismantle key cycle tracks in the nation's capital. Unfortunately, we were right.
March 24, 2026
How a ‘Universal Basic Neighborhood’ Can Help Americans Live Longer
Want to increase your chances of living to 80? A new paper argues we need to start with our neighborhoods — and we need to do it for everybody.
March 24, 2026
Tuesday’s Headlines Keep Our Eyes on the Road
How much responsibility do tech companies bear for traffic deaths caused by distracted driving?
March 24, 2026
Comments Are Temporarily Disabled
Streetsblog is in the process of migrating our commenting system. During this transition, commenting is temporarily unavailable.
Once the migration is complete, you will be able to log back in and will have full access to your comment history. We appreciate your patience and look forward to having you back in the conversation soon.