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Mr. Thursday’s Headlines, Tear Down This Freeway

Tearing down urban freeways is finally getting serious consideration. So what next? Plus, the latest on infrastructure and Amtrak expansion plans.

By Blake Aued

12:01 AM EDT on June 3, 2021

President Biden’s infrastructure plan is at a crossroads. Should Democrats go it alone, or should he accept Republicans’ offer and risk progressives peeling off? (The Hill)
Amtrak’s 15-year plan calls for a $75 billion investment to create 39 new routes serving 160 cities and improving 25 existing routes. (Railway Age)
The U.S. DOT announced $2.5 billion in funding for 25 rail, bus rapid transit and streetcar projects in 12 states. (RT&S)
Lyft sold its autonomous vehicle arm to Toyota for $550 million (Government Technology) and some are declaring the dream of robocars dead (Business Insider).
Cyclists apparently have a new enemy — folks on e-bikes who whizz by them in the bike lane. (Wall Street Journal)
The Congress for the New Urbanism released its annual Freeways Without Futures report, listing 15 interstates and expressways that should be demolished. But while the idea of tearing urban freeways is entering the mainstream, that’s just the first step — what comes after? (Vice)
Claiborne Avenue was the center of New Orleans’ Black community until Interstate 10 — listed by CNU— ripped it apart in the 1960s with no input from residents. (Smithsonian)
A disheartening poll in Tampa found that most residents rank roads as their top priority and wouldn’t use transit no matter how convenient it was. (Tampa Bay Times)
Atlanta transit agency MARTA is facing an age-old dilemma as it updates its bus routes: Try to serve everyone, or serve as many people as possible well? (Atlanta Magazine)
Miami is using e-scooter fees to build bike and scooter lanes downtown. (Miami Today)
A Portland church is kicking out a daycare because it turned the church’s parking lot into a playground. (The Parking Minute)
We are all this Amazon driver cussing up a storm. (Jalopnik)

Blake Aued

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.

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