- As of this writing, the entire infrastructure package — transit, Amtrak, Complete Streets, highways, warts and all — is in question. Speaker Nancy Pelosi caved to progressives and postponed a House vote on the bipartisan infrastructure bill (Politico), leaving the whole two-bill spending package in disarray, with conservative Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin demanding that Democrats cut their reconciliation bill by an additional $2 trillion (Associated Press) and progressives ridiculing his demands (ABC News). But don't blame this entirely on Democrats: They didn't have a lot of help (CNN).
- The pandemic has laid bare the role transit plays in equity and sustainability. (Government Technology)
- A startup called Via is taking the ride-hailing model and applying it to microtransit. Fares are low, but it's backed by Shell, and it's also in line to potentially win federal transit funding. (Forbes)
- Next City makes the case that buses should be free, because it's a public good, and it benefits us all whether we ride it or not.
- E-bikes are currently more popular in Europe, but they're about to start flooding the U.S. market. (Axios)
- Private company Fortress is finalizing plans to finance an $8 billion high-speed rail line between Southern California and Las Vegas. (Bloomberg)
- Officials in the Milwaukee suburbs are asking the county to provide more transit service to connect jobs and workers, but race remains a hurdle. (WUWM)
- Chicago announced plans to install or upgrade 100 miles of bike lanes by the end of next year. (Cities Today,
- Austin is halfway toward its goal of building 400 miles of bike lanes by 2025. (Monitor)
- San Antonio is installing 28 new mid-block crosswalks. (KSAT)
- Hampton Roads Transit is seeking public input on expanded light rail and bus rapid transit in Norfolk. (Virginian-Pilot)
- Syracuse has a new bike-share program that also includes e-scooters. (Post-Standard)
- Arizona State, Tempe and 3M are partnering to create cooler bus shelters. (The State Press)
Streetsblog
Friday’s Headlines Are Falling Apart
By Blake Aued
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