Wednesday’s Headlines Are In the Money

Lots of news about federal grants and the Biden administration's proposed spending on transit in next year's budget.

By Blake Aued

12:01 AM EDT on March 13, 2024

The Chicago Red Line is among 14 transit projects the Biden administration included in its proposed 2025 budget.

The Biden administration's proposed 2025 budget includes $4 billion for 14 transit projects, including the Hudson River tunnel, rail in Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, Minneapolis and Seattle, subways in New York in L.A. and bus rapid transit in San Antonio, Chapel Hill, Indianapolis and Madison, Wisconsin. (Trains)
- More on the grants for Indianapolis (Star), Madison (Cap Times), San Antonio (Report), Los Angeles (Daily News) and Chapel Hill (WRAL).
- Biden's budget would also pay for transportation, in part, with a tax on fuel for private jets. (ABC News)
Biden is set to visit Milwaukee today to announce funding for safety improvements on Sixth Street as part of a $3.3 billion package to reconnect communities (Journal Sentinel). That also includes "stitch" projects capping the Vine Street Expressway in Philadelphia (WHYY); I-35 in Austin, which the Texas DOT is widening (KXAN); and Atlanta's Downtown Connector (AJC).
From a similar federal program, Buffalo won a $108 million grant for a Bailey Avenue BRT lane (WKBW), and Syracuse received $180 million to revitalize neighborhoods around the I-81 viaduct (Central New York Business Journal).
The police chief for the Twin Cities' Metro Transit says drugs and violence on trains are symptoms of larger societal issues. (MPR)
Seattle should be building a real bus network and fast, rather than piecemealing one together like it's doing with RapidRide. (The Urbanist)
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette editorial board calls on the city to do more to achieve Vision Zero.
Kansas City unveiled a new streetcar wrap celebrating its women's soccer team, the Current, on International Women's Day. (Star)