Friday’s Headlines Are Mitching About Infrastructure
The Senate minority leader is telling governors they don't have to abide by Biden administration guidelines. Plus, GM's vampire robotaxis and more.
By
Blake Aued
12:00 AM EST on February 11, 2022
- Mitch McConnell and other Republican senators are telling red-state governors to ignore the Biden administration’s “fix it first” approach and spend infrastructure funding on new roads if they feel like it. (Route Fifty)
- Electric vehicles will only be beneficial if manufacturers don’t keep making them bigger and bigger, and if drivers don’t keep driving more and more. (The Week)
- GM’s new robotaxis will only operate at night (CNN) despite evidence that autobraking doesn’t work well on dark streets (Streetsblog USA).
- “How Cities Work” author Alex Marshall is backing off his thesis that transportation is destiny. Other aspects of urban planning matter, too. (Governing)
- Washington state Democrats’ $17 billion transportation budget includes a lot of money for highways, but also for transit and safe streets. (Seattle Times)
- On the eve of a pilot program on three bus lines, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said she hopes to make all transit fare-free. (MassLive)
- The Chicago Transit Authority is getting $912 million from the American Rescue Plan. (Mass Transit)
- Construction on Indianapolis’ second bus rapid transit line, the Purple Line, is starting next month. (Indy Star)
- San Diego officials are discussing a new type of impact fee based on how much developers’ tenants are expected to drive. (Streetsblog CAL)
- After four years, could Grand Rapids’ sidewalk snow-plowing pilot program go citywide? (MLive)
- Cincinnati is implementing more traffic-calming measures. (City Beat)
- Chapel Hill is considering a “dooring” law after a car passenger’s open door killed a cyclist. (Raleigh News & Observer).
- If you’re going to the Super Bowl and plan to drive, be prepared to pay out the nose for parking (Jalopnik). Of course, given that it’s in Los Angeles, taking transit could be a long and arduous journey (LAist).
Blake Aued has been doing Streetsblog's daily national news digest for years. He's also an Atlanta Braves fan, which enrages his editor in New York.
Read More:
More from Streetsblog USA
The Simple Design Change That Could Open the Doors to Automated Rail
"Platform screen doors" are all over the planet's best transit networks. Is it time for the nation's capital to give them a try?
November 4, 2026
The Races Transportation Reformers Are Watching This Midterms
What will the midterms mean for US mobility? Here are a few key races advocates are watching.
November 3, 2026
Can NYC Bus Riders Form A Voting Bloc? We’re About To Find Out
Transit advocates have a new plan to turn bus riders into a political force.
November 3, 2026
Tuesday’s Headlines Vote Early and Vote Often
From the federal level to local referendums, this will be a pivotal election for transit and safety.
November 3, 2026
Would Ending Seasonal Clock Changes Make Streets Safer for People Outside Cars?
Saturday night Halloween celebrations and a seasonal time change converged this year to create what some fear were uniquely dangerous conditions on US roads. But would ditching the clock change really have saved pedestrian and cyclist lives?
November 2, 2026
