Friday’s Headlines Take Me to the River
Politico reports that the Biden administration is investing $2.5 billion in updating aging Mississippi River locks and dams like this one in Iowa. Transporting freight by barge produces less emissions than trucks or even rail.
By
Blake Aued
1:18 AM EDT on July 12, 2024
- The bipartisan infrastructure act includes $2.5 billion to improve locks and dams along the Mississippi River, allowing bigger barges through and potentially taking thousands of trucks off the road. (Politico)
- With gas tax revenue declining, some states want Amazon and other delivery companies to pay for road maintenance. (Stateline)
- Fast Company interviewed top congressional bike advocate Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) about bringing back manufacturing back to the U.S., among other topics. (Streetsblog USA did, too.)
- Better bus service can save families thousands of dollars in car ownership costs and help make housing more affordable. (El Pais)
- Bus manufacturer Bluebird received $80 million from the federal government to convert a shuttered Georgia plant to make electric school buses. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
- The Seattle city council voted to put a $1.5 billion transportation levy on the November ballot. (The Urbanist)
- Dooring is still killing people on bikes, even though San Francisco has gotten safer for cyclists (Standard). However, the city is nowhere near meeting its Vision Zero goal ten years after adopting the policy (SFGATE).
- The Missouri DOT is spending $100 million to bring St. Louis sidewalks up to ADA compliance. (Fox 2)
- Austin Politics profiled Chris Riley, longtime champion of urbanism in the Texas capital.
- Several Milwaukee bikeshare stations will shut down next week for the Republican National Convention. (Journal-Sentinel)
- A Montana photographer’s project documents 70 years of road deaths. (Places)
- Harrisburg’s last trolley stopped running in 1939. (Penn Live)
- Take a bike tour of Cleveland’s iconic script signs. (Axios)
- Pavement art slows motorists in front of a Pittsburgh library. (Union Progress)
- Here’s where to eat along Tucson’s Sun Link streetcar. (Tucson Foodie)
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: The Urban Truth Collective
Tom Flood, Grant Ennis and Brent Toderian of the Urban Truth Collective discuss pushing back on falsehoods and conspiracies through positive messaging around cities.
April 23, 2026
Thursday’s Headlines Shout, Shout, Let It All Out
A public input process that engages all stakeholders early on but doesn't drag out is the key to holding down costs for transit projects, according to the Urban Institute.
April 23, 2026
Judge Blocks Trump Admin’s Attempt to Demolish D.C. Bike Lane
But advocates across America aren't letting their guard down about the future of sustainable infrastructure in their own communities.
April 23, 2026
For Earth Day, the Trump Administration Wants To Expand Highways Across America
US DOT wants states to build more roads and take space away from bikes and give it to cars. It's foolish on so many levels.
April 22, 2026
Wednesday’s Headlines Are Fare in Love and War
Henry Grabar argues in favor of fare gates in The Atlantic.
April 22, 2026