- Democrats are starting to work on whittling down the Build Back Better bill into something Sen. Joe Manchin will support (New York Times). Whatever form the bill takes, President Biden said he wants climate change to remain a focus (Washington Post).
- More than 40 states have failed to adopt common-sense laws against drunk and distracted driving that could easily prevent crashes. (Streetsblog USA)
- In addition to the health benefits, trails and greenways more than pay for themselves through growth in tax revenue. (American City and County)
- Sixteen Republican governors want the Biden administration to let them spend all their infrastructure money on widening roads. (Arkansas Times)
- Going fare-free helped the L.A. Metro keep ridership up during the pandemic and reduce boarding times, but the agency started collecting fares again nonetheless. (Curbed)
- Federal officials told the Oregon DOT to do a new environmental assessment for their plan to widen and cap I-5 in Portland's Rose Quarter, pushing the project back about six months. (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
- Dallas' new bus routes providing more frequent service to high-ridership areas kick in next week. (Human Transit)
- Miami transportation planners have proposed a new $81 million express light-rail line. (Miami Today)
- Lyft is spending $14 million, the single largest political donation in Massachusetts history, to push a Prop 22-style referendum classifying drivers as contractors with no labor rights. (Jalopnik)
- Boston officials are worried about a spike in fare evasion when a new collection system is in place in 2024 (Globe). But with Mayor Michelle Wu's fare-free pilot program underway, will riders even be paying fares by then?
- A Memphis program is turning dumped tires into bike-lane barriers. (WREG)
- The Philippines built 500 kilometers of bike lanes in a year during the pandemic. (World Bank)
Stay in touch
Sign up for our free newsletter
More from Streetsblog USA
Confirmed: Non-Driving Infrastructure Creates ‘Induced Demand,’ Too
Widening a highway to cure congestion is like losing weight by buying bigger pants — but thanks to the same principle of "induced demand," adding bike paths and train lines to cure climate actually works.
January 9, 2026
Friday’s Headlines Are Unsustainably Expensive
To paraphrase former New York City mayoral candidate Jimmy McMillan, the car payment is too damn high.
Talking Headways Podcast: Poster Sessions at Mpact in Portland
Young professionals discuss the work they’ve been doing including designing new transportation hubs, rethinking parking and improving buses.
January 8, 2026
Exploding Costs Could Doom One of America’s Greatest Highway Boondoggles
The Interstate Bridge Replacement Project and highway expansion between Oregon and Washington was already a boondoggle. Then the costs ballooned to $17.7 billion.
January 8, 2026
Mayor Bowser Blasts U.S. DOT Talk of Eliminating Enforcement Cameras in DC
The federal Department of Transportation is exploring how to dismantle the 26-year-old enforcement camera system in Washington, D.C.
January 8, 2026
Thursday’s Headlines Are Making Progress
By Yonah Freemark's count, 19 North American transit projects opened last year, with another 19 coming in 2026.
January 8, 2026
