Wednesday’s Headlines Are Burning Down the House
An infrastructure bill will save the planet, President Biden says. And investment in bikes, walking and transit pay economic dividends, according to a Colorado study.
By
Blake Aued
12:01 AM EDT on September 15, 2021
- California wildfires are a sign that Congress needs to approve a green infrastructure package to combat climate change, President Biden said in Sacramento. (Bloomberg)
- The U.S. doesn’t really need half a million public electric vehicle chargers. (Vice)
- Nobody has figured out a way to get drivers to stop idling their engines. (Jalopnik)
- Exposure to traffic noise raises the risk of dementia, according to a new study. (Medical News Today)
- Georgia Democrats are pushing a bill that would tie transit funding to affordable housing and let transit agencies use federal grants for operating expenses. (Moultrie Observer)
- Elevated cycleways preceded freeways by more than 50 years, but then cars killed them off. (The Drive)
- A Colorado study found that shifting transportation funding from highways to transit, sidewalks and bike projects would bring $40 billion in economic benefits. (Colorado Public Radio)
- Charlotte is looking for a site for a new light rail station. (Observer)
- A week into going fare-free, Alexandria’s transit system is already looking for funding to extend the program. (WUSA)
- Lincoln is projected to get more congested in the next 30 years, and the city doesn’t have enough transportation funding to deal with the issue. (Journal-Star)
- Ordinarily, a bike lane down the middle of the street might seem like a bad idea. But Portland is utilizing them to help cyclists navigate offset intersections where the cross-streets don’t quite match up. (Bike Portland)
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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