Monday’s Headlines Reconnect With Pete
More than $3 billion is flowing out of the White House to help correct infrastructure mistakes in Black communities.
By
Blake Aued
12:14 AM EDT on April 29, 2024
- Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg attended a conference of Black mayors to tout $3.3 billion in grants the Biden administration is distributing to address the damage caused to minority communities by past transportation decisions. (CNN)
- Cities should be building more protected bike lanes because paint does little to keep cyclists safe. (Real Clear Energy)
- Funding transit instead of highways would lead to cleaner air and save people money they’d otherwise spend on driving. (Other Words)
- The Biden administration is issuing $150 million in federal grants to reduce truck idling and emissions at ports. (American Journal of Transportation)
- New book “The Northeast Corridor” explores how trains linked the East Coast cities from Boston to Washington, D.C. into one giant megalopolis. (The Conversation)
- In addition to larger contributions from Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C., the D.C. Metro plans to address a $750 million deficit by raising fares and shifting funding from maintenance to operations. (WTOP)
- With federal COVID funds drying up, Philadelphia transit agency SEPTA is facing a $240 million deficit July 1, and its CEO is asking the city for $117 million to leverage state funding. (NBC 10)
- Hearings have started in a lawsuit seeking to kill Austin’s Project Connect transit expansion plans. (KUT)
- Once a supporter of Beltline transit, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens is now starting to question the cost. (11 Alive)
- Portland traffic deaths hit an all-time high of 69 last year. (Axios)
- Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s $3 billion transportation plan has “something for everybody,” including bus riders, cyclists, pedestrians and drivers. (Governing)
- Angry over cost overruns on the Southwest Light Rail project, Minnesota lawmakers are pushing to reform the Twin Cities’ unelected Met Council. (CBS News)
- St. Paul officials are proposing to build 100 miles of protected bike lanes over the next 15 years. (Axios)
- Oakland and Caltrans are spending millions to make Bay Area streets safer. (San Jose Mercury News)
- Charlotte is considering extending the Gold Line streetcar and allowing it to bypass traffic, potentially boosting its low ridership. (WCNC)
- A $3.6 million federal grant will spare Des Moines’ transit agency from service cuts for the next two years. (Register)
- Lots of people in West Hartford bike or take the bus even though the area was built for cars. (CT Insider)
- The first phase of revamping New Orleans’ Claiborne Expressway is a new marketplace that opened underneath the elevated highway that divides a Black neighborhood. (Louisiana Weekly)
- Chicago has removed its famous “rat hole” sidewalk. (NBC News)
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
Dems Push for Guardrails to Shield Federal Transportation Grants From Trump Meddling
Will Senate Democrats leverage the proposed Build America 250 Act to end President Trump's meddling in transportation funding?
June 23, 2026
Should Residents Be Allowed To Ticket Trucks That Pollute The Air?
A New Jersey Congressman opposes efforts to clear the air (but he takes donations from bus companies!).
June 23, 2026
Porchfest Brings Affordable Entertainment to the Streets
People-first streets aren’t just life-saving – they’re a cost-of-living tool. And they're fun.
June 23, 2026
Tuesday’s Headlines Call It Heavy Metal
A New York Times interactive feature shows why larger vehicles are more deadly for pedestrians.
June 23, 2026
Monday’s Headlines Are Biked Up
Out of 3,000 U.S. cities, the number that scored well on People for Bike's metrics more than doubled to 555 between 2025 and 2026.
June 22, 2026