Wednesday’s Headlines About the Biggest Boondoggles
Why are we still expanding highways in the year of our lord, 2023?
By
Blake Aued
12:31 AM EST on November 15, 2023
- U.S. PIRG released its annual list of highway boondoggles, including several projects being pushed forward by the Biden administration’s infrastructure act. An ongoing Streetsblog series breaks down each project in-depth.
- The Biden administration’s “fix it first” infrastructure philosophy primarily benefits whiter, rural states because it pays to maintain roads that, under a more equitable approach, would never have been built in the first place, Eno Center for Transportation argues.
- Rather than the proven approach of designing safer streets, state officials are leaning on police and automated traffic enforcement to curb rising road deaths. Both pose problems, like disproportionately punishing low-income drivers. (Stateline)
- Various billionaires’ plans to build “smart cities” from scratch haven’t gone anywhere. (Smart Cities Dive)
- Car dealers really do not want to sell electric vehicles. (Clean Technica)
- Los Angeles is bracing for a traffic nightmare — when is L.A. traffic not a nightmare? — after arson shut down a portion of I-10 (City Lab), However, when such things happen, people generally figure out other ways to get around. Meanwhile, apparently setting freeways on fire is the best way to convince L.A. to boost transit service.
- Miami’s new bus routes prioritize connecting people and jobs. (Human Transit)
- Houston is planning to build 2,000 new bus shelters over the next five years. (Mass Transit)
- Decatur, Georgia is a pedestrian-friendly town, but drivers injured four people in four separate crashes there in one day. Authorities blamed distracted driving. (AJC)
- Seattle Transit Blog took a deep dive into the West Seattle light rail line.
- British Columbia is considering a bill to provide 100,000 new homes near transit stations. (CBC)
- Overnight trains are making a comeback in Europe as an alternative to flights. (CNN)
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:
Streetsblog has migrated to a new comment system. New commenters can register directly in the comments section of any article. Returning commenters: your previous comments and display name have been preserved, but you'll need to reclaim your account by clicking "Forgot your password?" on the sign-in form, entering your email, and following the verification link to set a new password — this is required because passwords could not be carried over during the migration. For questions, contact tips@streetsblog.org.
More from Streetsblog USA
Talking Headways Podcast: Evolution, God and Transportation
Let's consider the totality of the human experience on this planet. Yes, it connects to livable streets, we promise. It's a very special episode of Talking Headways!
June 4, 2026
A Rolling Protest Helped Win Some of the Best Provisions in Congress’ New Infrastructure Bill
...and the advocates behind the ride are doing it again soon.
June 4, 2026
Thursday’s Headlines Are Tired of Tires
Yale has found more evidence that tires cause air pollution as they wear.
June 4, 2026
Want to Win a Statewide Race? Embrace Transit Early and Often
Steyer got a nice media hit when he "rode the D." Too bad it happened after most voters cast their ballots.
June 3, 2026
Most World Cup Host Cities Are Pedestrianizing Streets This Summer – But Not Boston
In a few days, host cities across North America will welcome huge World Cup crowds by pedestrianizing major streets – and in some cases, entire neighborhoods – to keep traffic jams out of the fan parades and festivals associated with the international event.
June 3, 2026
