Wednesday’s Headlines Are Almost Here

By Blake Aued

12:00 AM EST on January 26, 2022

At The Transport Politic, Yonah Freemark published his annual list of transit projects expected to open or break ground in 2022, and it's a doozy. Twenty-two new rail and bus rapid transit lines are scheduled to open this year in the U.S. alone, including many delayed by the pandemic.
Did President Biden achieve his fix-it-first and climate-change goals with the infrastructure act? The devil's in the details. (Roll Call)
Red and blue states alike are preparing for more than 1 million new electric vehicles to hit the road this year (Pew Stateline). Much like New Deal rural electrification, a big push needs to be made for chargers in the countryside (Bloomberg). Meanwhile, urban residents won't have the advantage of charging their cars in their garage (Wired).
A tunnel underneath downtown Seattle that's the centerpiece of a $53 billion regional rail expansion would delve as far as 140 feet deep to avoid obstacles like existing tunnels and skyscraper foundations, which could lead to higher costs and force passengers to descend and ascend nine stories. (Seattle Times)
The Federal Transit Administration awarded planning grants for 20 transit-oriented development projects, including Austin's Orange Line (KXAN) and a streetcar line in Mesa (KTAR).
Portland is making part of 16th Street one-way for drivers and adding a bike lane. (BikePortland)
Ann Arbor's State Street sees more pedestrian crossings than vehicle trips per day, and now it's getting a more pedestrian- and cyclist-friendly makeover. (MLive)
Richmond is planning to add bike lanes and paths to several streets this year. (Richmond News)
Small Western ski towns have transit, too, even if taking it is sometimes an adventure. (Salt Lake Tribune)

Blake Aued

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