- Politico has a tick-tock on how the bipartisan infrastructure deal announced Thursday came together — apparently it involved lots of wine. NPR breaks down the numbers. While it's more than current levels of spending on transit (WaPost), it's less than what President Biden originally proposed.
- Not everyone is a fan. Esquire said the scaled-down proposal, which includes less than $600 billion in new spending, fails to rise to the challenge of climate change. And Lucy could still pull back the football: Some Republicans are mad that Democrats are planning to come back with a second infrastructure bill including "human infrastructure" like child care (Reuters). But the second bill is a prerequisite for support from Senate progressives (The Hill).
- These NBC News graphics show where e-bike ridership and bike-share use in general rose during the pandemic.
- Like so many transportation projects, Portland's Rose Quarter mysteriously went from "nothing's been decided" to "it's too late to change." (City Observatory)
- Buffalo officials and transit advocates are debating whether streetcars are a romanticized waste of money or a way to lure people onto transit who are reluctant to ride the bus. (Governing)
- The Texas DOT kept working on plans to widen I-45 through Houston despite being told to stop while the Biden administration looked at civil rights concerns. (Houston Public Media)
- Decriminalization of fare evasion and unarmed enforcement were left out of a Minnesota transportation bill (MinnPost). But the $7.3 billion bill does including funding for Amtrak and two bus rapid transit lines (Pioneer Press).
- The Washington Post says transit equity should be a priority for D.C.
- Gov. Ned Lamont, other Connecticut officials and Amtrak are pushing a plan to speed up passenger rail service, both now and out to 2035. (Mirror)
- Cleveland is backpedaling on plans for a two-way cycle track on Lorain Avenue. (Plain Dealer)
- San Jose is using concrete barriers to separate painted bike lanes from roads. (KPIX)
Streetsblog
Friday’s Headlines Will Meet You in the Middle
By Blake Aued
Stay in touch
Sign up for our free newsletter
More from Streetsblog USA
Wednesday’s Headlines Stick With What Works
Forget robotaxis. Just make the bus come frequently and on time.
July 16, 2025
Can Colleges Do A Better Job of Fighting Car Dependency?
"How great would it be if kids graduated without the assumption that they must be completely dependent on a personal automobile?"
July 16, 2025
Commentary: The French City of Lyon Shows How to Connect Communities Without Cars
An amazing 24/7 bike-ped-transit connection can be made for pennies on the dollar.
America’s Kids Deserve Better Than a Waymo Subscription
What do America's young people lose when they have to buy independence from a corporation that rents out driverless cars?
July 15, 2025
Tuesday’s Headlines Aren’t Falling Fast Enough
Pedestrian deaths dropped by 4 percent last year, but remain well above pre-pandemic figures.
July 15, 2025
Advocates Fight To Prevent 40% Transit Service Cuts in Illinois
Public transit riders, workers, and advocates showed up in force for Saturday's Save Transit Rally at Daley Plaza, calling on state lawmakers to pass a bill to address Chicagoland's looming $771 million fiscal cliff.
