Streetsblog

Thursday’s Headlines Bring Some Hard Truths

Fix it first, EVs won't save us, transit needs more operating money, and the infrastructure bill funds a bunch of old freeway plans.

By Blake Aued

12:01 AM EDT on August 26, 2021

A House standoff ended with a promised Sept. 27 vote on the bipartisan “hard” infrastructure bill that’s already passed the Senate. (Transport Topics)
U.S. infrastructure is old and busted, and we need to fix it before we build anything new. (Governing)
Electric cars just won’t cut it. We have to get people walking, biking and taking transit to curb climate change (The Conversation). Tunnels and autonomous vehicles aren’t going to solve our problems either (The City Fix)
Transit agencies need federal funding for operating costs, not just capital projects. (Commonwealth)
Freeways conceived decades ago are finally getting funding from the bipartisan infrastructure bill. (E&E News)
Expect zoning fights over where to put EV chargers. (Urban Milwaukee)
Minnesota public transportation stands to gain more than $800 million from the bipartisan infrastructure bill. (Minneapolis Star Tribune)
Indygo received an $81 million construction grant from the Federal Transit Administration for Indianapolis’ bus rapid transit Purple Line. (CBS 4)
Portland’s new Rose Lanes are speeding up bus trips. (Mass Transit Mag)
St. Paul’s decision to end parking minimums and change its zoning to emphasize low-carbon development means it’s prioritizing people over parking. (NRDC)
E-bikes are booming, and Gainesville, Florida, needs better bike infrastructure to avoid kicking the climate can down the road. (Sun)

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.