Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
Streetsblog

Wednesday’s Headlines Want to Build Cheaper and Faster

Not much has progressed on the high-speed rail front since Ray LaHood was transportation secretary and Joe Biden was vice president.

Why did it take 11 years and $450 million to save rail riders traveling between Boston and D.C. less than two minutes, when France can build a whole new high-speed rail line in six years? (Vice)

Ridership has snapped back on smaller transit systems used mainly by low-income riders, while bigger ones used mainly by suburban commuters are facing an existential crisis — and some are in between, depending on their funding mechanisms. (Governing)

Related: Some advocates argue the tri-state New York City region should integrate their commuter rail systems with NYC transit. (City Lab)

President Biden's proposal to suspend the federal gas tax comes with a lot of risk and little upside. (The Hill)

This is only tangentially related to transportation at best, but we must point you to testimony that truck-loving former President Donald Trump apparently tried to wrest the wheel away from a Secret Service agent who refused to drive his limousine to the Jan. 6 insurrection. (New York Times)

Three Texas groups are filing a lawsuit seeking to stop the state DOT from expanding I-35 in Austin. (Monitor)

After the Durham-Orange light rail project failed, Research Triangle officials are now considering another line connecting Raleigh and Durham at a cost of about $3 billion. (WRAL)

Kansas City's Complete Streets and Vision Zero programs aren't progressing fast enough for the pedestrians who continue to die. (KCUR)

Cities in Washington state are now allowed to use cameras to enforce speed limits, but none of them are rushing to be the first. (The Urbanist)

The Metro Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority should follow Alexandria's example and make buses fare-free. (AJC)

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu's vision for transit is informed by her experiences as a mother and a woman of color. (The Guardian)

The Promised Land remains choked with traffic despite promises of better transit. (Jerusalem Post)

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

America’s Kids Deserve Better Than a Waymo Subscription

What do America's young people lose when they have to buy independence from a corporation that rents out driverless cars?

July 15, 2025

Tuesday’s Headlines Aren’t Falling Fast Enough

Pedestrian deaths dropped by 4 percent last year, but remain well above pre-pandemic figures.

July 15, 2025

Monday’s Headlines Are Dragging Their Feet

The Trump administration claims the Biden administration left them with a backlog — but they've actually been far slower at getting transportation money to states than their predecessors, a new analysis finds.

July 14, 2025

These U.S. Communities’ So-Called ‘Complete Streets’ Policies Don’t Even Deserve the Name

Any city can call itself a "Complete Streets" champion. But not all of them are walking the walk — and if they don't, a top organization says they'll no longer give them a platform on its esteemed "best of" ranking.

July 14, 2025

Communities Rally To Reclaim Streets From ICE Terror

"This is an attack on Los Angeles. This is an attack on California. On all of us."

July 11, 2025

Friday Video: The London Neighborhood Where Bikes Outnumber Cars

...and how they got to that impressive milestone.

July 11, 2025
See all posts