Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
Streetsblog

Monday’s Headlines Are Snatchin’ Manchin

12:00 AM EST on December 20, 2021

    • The big news Sunday was that Sen. Joe Manchin came out against the Build Back Better program (Politico), crushing hopes of passing the Biden administration's climate change agenda (New York Times) because of Manchin's misguided criticisms of the bill (NPR). Here's a rather symbolic video of Manchin nudging his Maserati through a group of climate protestors (Twitter).
    • The Federal Highway Administration issued new guidelines that, for the first time, will nudge state DOTs away from building freeways and toward more environmentally sustainable projects. (Wired, Streetsblog USA)
    • Alphabet's "smart city" subsidiary, Sidewalk Labs, will wind down and be folded into Google after CEO Dan Doctoroff announced he's stepping down for health reasons. (Tech Crunch)
    • Amtrak CEO Bill Flynn, who guided the company through the pandemic and the Biden administration's ambitious expansion plans, is retiring. (RT&S)
    • Washington, D.C. parents are pleading for street safety improvements and a crackdown on dangerous drivers after a recent spate of children being run over. (Washington Post)
    • A new Colorado requiring the state DOT to consider projects' effect on climate change could divert billions away from roads and toward greener transportation. (Colorado Public Radio)
    • Houston groups have filed a federal complaint seeking to halt the I-45 widening on the grounds that it violates civil rights laws. (Chronicle)
    • After the Federal Transit Administration said Boston's fare-free pilot project violates federal rules, Mayor Michelle Wu took her case directly to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, but it doesn't appear that she had any luck (CommonWealth). Meanwhile, a bill dropping minimum parking requirements for affordable housing passed the Boston city council and landed on Wu's desk (Globe).
    • Austin blog Towers takes a deep dive into a proposal to ban cars on The Drag, a student-oriented, bus- and pedestrian-heavy stretch of road near the University of Texas.
    • San Francisco Mayor London Breed is floating a $400 million bond referendum to modernize transit agency Muni. (SFist)
    • Seattle Mayor-elect Brett Harrell plans to replace the head of the city's DOT, Sam Zimbabwe. (West Seattle Blog)
    • A Milwaukee choir group hopped aboard The Hop streetcar to spread holiday cheer. (Journal Sentinel)

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Wednesday’s Headlines Ask How Much a Life Is Worth

There isn't much of a financial penalty for drivers who kill pedestrians — especially if those drivers are cops.

September 27, 2023

‘I’m Not Grieving Alone’: New Play Explores a Father’s Journey After Losing Two Children to Traffic Violence

Collin Campbell and his wife Gail Lerner lost both their children in a car crash with impaired driver. A new play explores why he

September 27, 2023

How Transit Saved Lives — And Became a Lifeline — During and After the Maui Fires

A Hawaii bus agency helped transport 42,000 people off the island in the wake of the most devastating fires in the state's history — and highlighted the critical role that shared modes can play not just in preventing climate-related disasters, but saving lives when they happen.

September 27, 2023

Tuesday’s Headlines Triple the Fun

Amtrak is staffing up and ready to spend the $66 billion it received from the bipartisan federal infrastructure law.

September 26, 2023

Pols: Congress Must Bolster Sustainable Commutes to Reduce Carbon and Congestion

The feds should bolster sustainable commuting modes and transportation demand management strategies.

September 26, 2023
See all posts