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
- 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.
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.
Read More:
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.
More from Streetsblog USA
Inside Baseball: Kuntzman To Step Down At Streetsblog; David Meyer To Take Over
Streetsblog's longtime editor will take on new challenges. And so will his successor.
October 9, 2026
Friday Video(s): Two Urban Cycling Trips Worth Taking
Choose your own urban cycling adventure: domestic or international edition.
October 9, 2026
Friday’s Headlines Pay a Lot for Parking
The average apartment-dweller pays $200 a month for a parking space, included in their rent, whether they use it or not.
October 9, 2026
Talking Headways Podcast: The Long Road to Real Transit Progress
Jeff Wood and Reece Martin discuss China’s lessons for American infrastructure.
October 8, 2026
Thursday’s Headlines Are Another Front in the Culture War
David Zipper explains how transportation, once an issue with broad consensus, became politically polarized.
October 8, 2026