Streetsblog

Signed, Sealed, Delivered, Tuesday’s Headlines Are Yours

The infrastructure bill is an infrastructure law. So what, exactly, will the money be spent on? We're starting to get an idea.

By Blake Aued

12:01 AM EST on November 16, 2021

Signed, Sealed, Delivered, Tuesday’s Headlines Are Yours

Image: Paris Malone, CC

President Biden signed the infrastructure bill, which makes it an infrastructure law? (Politico)
… And everyone covered it:
- Get ready for a Cincinnati bridge, Atlanta bus rapid transit, a rail hub in Chicago and the port of Baltimore (CNN).
- Speaking of bridges, not every city is excited about a new, wider span, citing induced demand and impacts to neighborhoods (City Lab).
- But in general, cities and states are gearing up to compete for funding (USA Today).
- Get in line — the New York region has already spent all the money. (NY Times)
- Most of it will be for freeways, though, with $1 billion allocated for roads in Oregon and just $200 million for transit (Portland Mercury).
- In Minnesota, it’s $4.8 billion for roads and bridges and $800 million for transit (Star-Tribune).
- Georgia will get $8.9 billion for roads and $1.4 billion for transit, and officials are expecting hiccups with distribution of funds (Georgia Public Broadcasting).
- Even with the skewed funding formula, Hampton Roads transit officials think they can use the money to double ridership in five years (13 News Now).
- And Amtrak’s $117 billion investment in the Northeast Corridor will increase capacity and reduce travel times (Smart Cities Dive).
Unless we start taking 40 percent of our trips on transit, foot or bike within the next 10 years, we won’t meet climate change goals. (Streetsblog USA)
Transit agencies are experimenting with no or low fares to boost ridership, but some worry the loss of revenue could lead to service cuts. (Washington Post)
Dallas is spending $2 million next year to fill in bike lane gaps. (Observer)
The Bird app in Detroit now includes MoGo bike-share docks. (Mass Transit)
Toledo is donating bikes from a defunct bike-share to groups that will distribute them to low-income residents. (Blade)
A New York Times photo essay shows how important Bulgaria’s last remaining narrow-gauge railroad is to residents of remote mountain villages.