Wednesday’s Headlines to Keep the Good Times Rolling

By Blake Aued

12:31 AM EDT on March 31, 2021

The Washington Post reports on the usual handwringing among Democrats as they wonder if President Biden will go to far or not far enough on infrastructure. One noteworthy tidbit: The plan set to be released this evening won’t include Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s bill allocating $500 billion for clean transit.
Still, Vox says it also doubles as a climate plan, and looks at various infrastructure bills that could be included in the final version.
How money for infrastructure is spent matters more than how much is spent. (Transportation for America)
Never mind, the infrastructure bill won’t include a vehicle mileage tax after all (The Hill) — but it probably should! (Streetsblog)
In addition to Build Back Better, thanks to previous federal COVID-19 bills, states now have budget surpluses to tackle their own infrastructure backlogs. (Pew Trust)
Uber and Lyft promised to reduce traffic and promote transit use, but instead they did the opposite. (New York Times)
Also from the Times: Employees who’d been deducting transit costs from their paychecks tax-free are unable to access the funds now that they work from home.
The lack of a standardized charging network is a major roadblock to transitioning to electric vehicles. (Vice)
Better data could help transit agencies improve service for low-income riders, the elderly, women and other marginalized communities. (World Economic Forum)
The Federal Highway Administration is investigating the Texas DOT’s proposed widening of I-45 in Houston — which would destroy hundreds of Black residences and businesses — for potential Civil Rights Act violations (Texas Observer). Up the road in Austin, the city council is hoping to mitigate damage from a proposed I-35 project (Monitor).
The FHWA also gave New York State permission to move ahead with its environmental review of congestion pricing, something the Trump Administration had blocked for no reason. (Streetsblog)
Northwest Arkansas residents spend a higher share of their income on housing and transportation costs than New York City or Chicago residents because of sprawl and the high cost of driving. (Democrat-Gazette)
Cities outside Savannah are opposed to expanding Chatham Area Transit because they don’t want to pay for it, and due to unfounded concerns about crime. (Morning News)
Bird is bring 300 e-scooters to Topeka on April 1. (Capital-Journal)
A program called BikeMatchDC has provided bikes for 200 essential workers since the pandemic began. (Greater Greater Washington)

Blake Aued

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