- 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
Shoveling a Snowy Sidewalk Is An Act of Resistance
Shoveling a sidewalk in winter is always a critical act of community care — but in an era of government assault on civil liberties, it's also an act of resistance.
February 2, 2026
Monday’s Headlines Are for Alex Pretti
Cyclists banded together in cities across the country to honor the ICE victim.
February 2, 2026
Friday Video: Should We Stop Calling Them ‘Low-Traffic Neighborhoods’?
Is it time for London's game-changing urban design concept to get a rebrand?
January 30, 2026
Friday’s Headlines Yearn to Breathe Free
While EVs aren't the be-all end-all, especially when it comes to traffic safety, they do make the air cleaner. Most of the U.S. is falling behind on their adoption, though.
January 30, 2026
Talking Headways Podcast: One Year of Congestion Pricing
Danny Pearlstein of New York City's Riders Alliance breaks down how advocates made congestion pricing happen in the Big Apple.
January 29, 2026
Improving Road Safety Is A Win For The Climate, Too
Closing the notorious "fatality target" loophole wouldn't just save lives — it'd help save the human species from climate catastrophe, too.
January 29, 2026
