- 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
Friday Video: Buenos Aires Will Challenge Everything You Think You Know About Buses
The Paris of South America has an amazing bus system — but it doesn't run like North American ones at all.
March 13, 2026
Friday’s Headlines Change How We Keep Score
The way the U.S. measures traffic death rates skews public perception toward the status quo.
March 13, 2026
Talking Headways Podcast: Buildings are Here to Help People
Jeremy Wells on his book, Managing the Magic of Old Places: Crafting Public Policies for People-Centered Historic Preservation.
March 12, 2026
Bus Companies Say There’s a Better Way to Take a ‘Great American Road Trip’ This Summer
"Our eventual goal is to make inter-city bus travel every American's first consideration when they think about how to get from one city to the next."
March 12, 2026
Opinion: Make This Summer’s World Cup A Car-Free Paradise
NYC has a major opportunity to support people who don't drive during the World Cup. Could other host cities do it, too?
Thursday’s Headlines Can’t Keep Up
While other developed nations are building more transit lines as their populations increase, the U.S. is not.
March 12, 2026
