Streetsblog

Friday’s Headlines Are Back in the Saddle Again

It really is Infrastructure Week this week, and Donald Trump is big mad. Plus, transit ridership is recovering and more headlines.

By Blake Aued

12:01 AM EDT on July 30, 2021

Don’t call it a comeback! Transit ridership is up 80 percent over the early days of the pandemic, according to federal data. (Transportation Today)
Donald Trump tried to derail the bipartisan infrastructure agreement, because if he can’t have one, no one can (MSNBC). The good news is, Republican senators seem to be tuning him out (The Week). In fact, the lead Republican negotiator, Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio, is under a lot of pressure to deliver results (Politico).
Supporters of an infrastructure bill say it would improve racial equity and help fight climate change. (Bloomberg)
Corporate tax? Carbon tax? Vehicle-miles driven tax? How should we pay for roads as electric vehicles eclipse gas-powered ones? (Next City)
Improving transit would create job opportunities for tens of thousands of Detroit residents (Free Press). In Pittsburgh, analysis also show that more investment in transit would boost the economy and improve the environment (City Paper).
The Central Ohio Transit Authority bought an old Greyhound station in Columbus and will convert it into some sort of transit-oriented development. (Dispatch)
Georgia has still not removed a type of highway guardrail that has proven to be deadly. (11 Alive)
Houston is painting the town red with bus-only lanes. (Chronicle)
Boston’s Blue Bikes bike-share program celebrated its 10th anniversary (WCVB). And 500 new Blue Bikes are hitting New Orleans streets (Times-Picayune).
The El Paso streetcar is once again open, and it’s free. (KLAQ)