Wednesday’s Headlines Are Burning Up
Climate change is worse than you thought. Plus, freight haulers and (except for the East Coast) the uber-expensive Gateway project stand in the way of better Amtrak service.
By
Blake Aued
12:01 AM EDT on August 11, 2021
- More on that UN climate change report: It’s here, it’s “unequivocally” manmade, it’s already causing extreme weather like hurricanes and wildfires, and the only question at this point is, how bad will we let it get? (CNN)
- The infrastructure bill passed the Senate. (New York Times)
- Amtrak is allocating almost half its $66 billion in funding from the infrastructure bill toward the Gateway project in New York and New Jersey alone. (Slate)
- Thanks to decades of deregulation, freight haulers are latter-day robber barons standing in the way of Amtrak improvements and better passenger rail. (Washington Monthly)
- During the pandemic, people found comfort in owning a car even if they didn’t use it much. (Smart Cities Dive)
- Transit agencies’ workforces are strained at a time when they’re working to rebuild ridership. (Metro Magazine)
- Cities need more than sidewalks, crosswalks and safer streets to get people walking. They need denser housing, places to walk to and inviting places to walk past. (Saporta Report)
- Houston residents continued to push back against a proposed I-45 expansion right up until the close of public comment. (Houston Public Media)
- Portland elected officials are pushing for congestion pricing and want to make sure any real-estate windfalls from a Rose Quarter cap accrue to Black property owners and not the Oregon DOT. (Willamette Week)
- As Sound Transit wrangles with a projected budget shortfall, a West Seattle group is pushing gondolas as a cheaper alternative to light rail. (My Northwest)
- Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf’s plan for a vehicle-miles-driven fee is running into trouble. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
- Las Vegas is using federal COVID funds to expand transit service. (Review-Journal)
- Denver is turning over some of its shared streets back to cars. (CBS 4)
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
Talking Headways Podcast: The Urban Truth Collective
Tom Flood, Grant Ennis and Brent Toderian of the Urban Truth Collective discuss pushing back on falsehoods and conspiracies through positive messaging around cities.
April 23, 2026
Thursday’s Headlines Shout, Shout, Let It All Out
A public input process that engages all stakeholders early on but doesn't drag out is the key to holding down costs for transit projects, according to the Urban Institute.
April 23, 2026
Judge Blocks Trump Admin’s Attempt to Demolish D.C. Bike Lane
But advocates across America aren't letting their guard down about the future of sustainable infrastructure in their own communities.
April 23, 2026
For Earth Day, the Trump Administration Wants To Expand Highways Across America
US DOT wants states to build more roads and take space away from bikes and give it to cars. It's foolish on so many levels.
April 22, 2026
Wednesday’s Headlines Are Fare in Love and War
Henry Grabar argues in favor of fare gates in The Atlantic.
April 22, 2026
