Streetsblog

Monday’s Headlines Welcome You to the Working Week

Infrastructure is still mired in politics, the feds' new investigation into Tesla looks like it might have teeth, and more headlines.

By Blake Aued

12:01 AM EDT on August 23, 2021

As House Democrats return to Washington today in an effort to pass two infrastructure bills, a handful of moderates are holding them hostage. (New York Times).
Meanwhile, the Senate is in recess, and progressive stalwart Bernie Sanders is headed to the red states of Iowa and Indiana to try to build support for infrastructure spending. (CNBC)
By framing people outside the vehicles as victims, the feds’ latest investigation into Tesla’s autopilot feature could go a long way toward protecting cyclists and pedestrians from runaway robocars. (Slate)
Also in Slate, Henry Grabar about the onerous environmental laws that make it harder to build transit than highways.
Much of the rail infrastructure we still use today was built over 100 years ago, and it was all privately funded. Then came federal subsidies for air travel and highways. (Washington Post)
Walkable places boost prosperity, support local businesses, enhance creativity, productivity and a city’s identity, promote tourism, encourage investment, attract the creative class, raise property values, activate streets and reduce crashes. (Public Square)
A new paid transit app will provide maps and schedules for cities where the company, called Transit, doesn’t have deals with local transit agencies. Users who can’t afford the $5 monthly or $25 annual fee can request a free subscription. (Mass Transit Mag)
Seattle’s Sound Transit, grappling with a projected $6.5 billion budget deficit, is saving $500 million thanks to a new federal loan package. (The Urbanist)
The Austin Chronicle raises the alarm that the Texas DOT has abandoned any pretense of doing anything with I-35 other than widening it.
After eliminating on-street parking requirements last week, St. Paul now has no parking minimums. (Pioneer Press)
Facing a shortage of workers, Metro Transit in St. Louis is offering incentives to attract more bus drivers and mechanics. (Post-Dispatch)
Birmingham residents are tired of risking their lives to cross Richard Arrington Jr. Boulevard. (CBS 42)
Omaha’s mayor vetoed funding for a bike lane that the city council had added to the municipal budget. (WOWT)

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.

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