Streetsblog

Thursday’s Headlines Are Full of Hot Takes

The reviews are in, and the bipartisan infrastructure bill gets a thumbs down. Plus, a breakdown of the bill's provisions and more headlines.

By Blake Aued

12:01 AM EDT on August 12, 2021

Reactions are rolling in to the bipartisan infrastructure bill the Senate passed Tuesday, and they are … not great. Democrats sacrificed some of their most ambitious ideas, like spending highway money on transit instead, to win Republican votes (Politico). The bill lacks the boldness necessary to address inequality and the climate crisis, according to Transportation for America. If the bill passes, rail funding will be higher, but still not as high as in the 1980s or in other developed countries (Urban Institute). And high-speed rail is largely left out (HuffPost).
The New York Times has some nifty graphics to help you visualize what’s included in the bill.
Now the bill goes to the House, where progressive Democrats await. Twenty-eight of them want $85 billion in funding for EV chargers, which the Senate cut to $7.5 billion. (Reuters)
These Washington Post interactive maps show how U.S. cities have sprawled over the past 20 years.
Oklahoma City is jump-starting a 20-year-old plan for a network of passenger rail lines. (Oklahoman)
The average U.S. transit project is completed slightly under budget, but the cost of a Honolulu light rail line has more than doubled since 2012. (Civil Beat)
Austin residents are concerned they’ll be displaced by both I-35 and transit expansion. (Monitor)
School has already started in the South, and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution has a reminder for drivers about stopping for buses and slowing down in school zones.
Montreal’s REM light rail is scheduled to open next summer. (Trains)
The 10 most bike-friendly cities in the world are — shocker — all in Northern and Western Europe. (Ipso)

Blake Aued

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.

Streetsblog

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

When the Battles Against Harmful Highways and Hyper-Scale Data Centers Collide

Hyperscale AI data centers and highways are both harmful forms of fossil fuel infrastructure that get built without much community input — and it's time to fight back against both, one of our favorite podcasters argues.