Wednesday’s Headlines Are Digging Deeper
Details continue to emerge about what's in the 2,700-page infrastructure bill. Plus, remember Segways? Slate remembers.
By
Blake Aued
12:01 PM EDT on August 4, 2021
- Although the split in funding is not ideal, the bipartisan infrastructure bill does include a bump for transit relative to roads. (Bloomberg)
- A provision in the infrastructure bill requires cities and states to at least consider private financing for transportation projects, even though it’s usually a bad deal for taxpayers. (The American Prospect)
- Maine Sen. Susan Collins predicts the bill could pass by the end of the week with at least 10 Republican votes. (Washington Post)
- Sens. Joe Manchin and Angus King joined Republicans in voting down a transit access bill for people with disabilities sponsored by Sen. Tammy Duckworth, who lost her legs in Iraq. (Twitter)
- If we’re going to prevent climate change, someone really needs to figure out how to make a better electric bus. (Vice)
- Governing magazine interviews transit expert Steven Higashide about what cities can do to boost ridership. It isn’t rocket science: Take people where they want to go, on time and cheaply.
- Nowadays e-scooters and e-bikes are everywhere, but it all started with the Segway 20 years ago. Slate takes a deep dive into why the mobility device that was supposed to change the world flopped.
- Language in the infrastructure bill revives the Red Line, killed by Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan six years ago in favor of roads. (Baltimore Sun)
- Miami Uber and Lyft drivers are worried robotaxis will take their jobs. (Herald)
- Remote work could help curb congestion in Houston. (Rice Kinder Institute)
- Lake Tahoe is using pricing to allocate a scarce resource, namely parking. Imagine that. (U.S. News & World Report)
- For Arnold Schwarzenegger, “Get to da choppa!” is now “Get to da mountain bike!” (Page Six)
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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