Thursday’s Headlines Bid Buttigieg Bon Voyage
Some parting words — and actions — from Secretary Pete.
By
Blake Aued
1:00 AM EST on January 16, 2025
- In a Q&A with The Verge, outgoing Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said he’s hopeful that Republicans in Congress whose districts have benefited from new electric vehicle and battery plants will resist the Trump administration’s urge to roll back Biden’s policies. But just in case, the U.S. DOT is shoveling money out the door as fast as it can, including $5 billion for 500 sustainable transportation projects last week (Streetsblog USA)
- For some reason, the solid kind of bollards — not the flimsy plastic ones — are out of vogue with city governments, but they’re a cheap way of protecting pedestrians and cyclists from oversized vehicles. (MinnPost)
- Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey proposed an $8 billion transit funding plan (Bloomberg) that covers the MBTA’s $700 million budget hole using revenue from a tax on the wealthy (Streetsblog MASS)
- A Nashville judge dismissed a lawsuit from two anti-tax advocates and upheld the legality of November’s transit referendum. (Scene)
- A small group of Republican state legislators in Democrat-dominated Mecklenburg County will lead Charlotte’s push for a transit referendum this fall. (Observer)
- Seattle is hiring 50 transportation planners to finally finish projects from a 2016 ballot measure. (The Urbanist)
- Worried that the funding could expire before it’s spent, Milwaukee planners are redirecting $25 million earmarked to extend The Hop streetcar. (Fox 6)
- Washington, D.C. residents can apply for e-bike vouchers of up to $1,500 starting Feb. 1. (WUSA)
- The Vegas Tesla loop isn’t even a crappy subway — it’s a glorified underground crosswalk. (Jalopnik)
- The Baltimore Banner has tips for e-biking around Charm City.
- Take a look back at Providence’s old trolley and streetcar system. (Journal)
- Big Trouser wins again as the annual Phoenix No Pants Light Rail Ride has been canceled this year. (New Times)
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.
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