Friday’s Headlines Are Like a Heat Wave
Which cities have the worst heat islands? Plus, big East Coast rail plans and some infrastructure advice for the Biden administration,
By
Blake Aued
12:01 AM EDT on July 16, 2021
- Any infrastructure bill must address climate change, inequality and a backlog of repairs, says the Natural Resources Defense Council.
- Businesses should stop subsidizing parking for employees. (City Lab)
- The Biden administration backed off a proposed Trump-era change to the official definition of a metro area that would have resulted in many small cities losing federal funding for transit, among other things. (Roll Call)
- New Orleans, Newark, New York, Houston and San Francisco have the worst urban heat zones, according to a new Climate Central report. While factors vary, they all have one thing in common: Lots of paved surfaces that absorb sunlight.
- Know thy enemy: Here’s some oil industry propaganda about the Biden administration’s approach to clean energy. (Forbes)
- Texas has committed to spending $25 billion on road projects to accommodate growth. But instead of doubling down on the mistakes of the 1950s, what if states tore down their freeways and invested in other ways for people to get around? (Observer)
- Austin’s Capitol Metro released plans for light rail downtown with six underground stops. (Community Impact)
- A route has been chosen for a potential high-speed rail line between Atlanta and Charlotte. (Intown Paper)
- A federal commission released a $117 billion plan to improve rail service on the East Coast, the nation’s busiest corridor. (Reuters)
- Restarting Valley Transit after a mass shooting at a San Jose railyard will take longer than expected. (Mercury News)
- San Francisco is still not making progress towards Vision Zero. (Examiner)
- A proposed Research Triangle bikeway could change the way workers in Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill commute. (Indy Week)
- The mayor of Madison, Wisconsin, is calling for lowering speed limits after a fatal highway crash. (NBC 15)
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:
Streetsblog has migrated to a new comment system. New commenters can register directly in the comments section of any article. Returning commenters: your previous comments and display name have been preserved, but you'll need to reclaim your account by clicking "Forgot your password?" on the sign-in form, entering your email, and following the verification link to set a new password — this is required because passwords could not be carried over during the migration. For questions, contact tips@streetsblog.org.
More from Streetsblog USA
Inside Baseball: Kuntzman To Step Down At Streetsblog; David Meyer To Take Over
Streetsblog's longtime editor will take on new challenges. And so will his successor.
October 9, 2026
Friday Video(s): Two Urban Cycling Trips Worth Taking
Choose your own urban cycling adventure: domestic or international edition.
October 9, 2026
Friday’s Headlines Pay a Lot for Parking
The average apartment-dweller pays $200 a month for a parking space, included in their rent, whether they use it or not.
October 9, 2026
Talking Headways Podcast: The Long Road to Real Transit Progress
Jeff Wood and Reece Martin discuss China’s lessons for American infrastructure.
October 8, 2026
Thursday’s Headlines Are Another Front in the Culture War
David Zipper explains how transportation, once an issue with broad consensus, became politically polarized.
October 8, 2026
