Monday’s Headlines Have New Priorities
President Trump and other Republicans are out to discourage electric vehicle ownership and build more highways as quickly as they can.
By
Blake Aued
12:01 AM EST on February 17, 2025
- Republican senators who took big campaign contributions from the oil and gas industry introduced a bill that would not only rescind the $7,500 federal tax credit for buying an electric vehicle, but tack on a $1,000 fee (Electrek). However, the Texas Standard interviewed a Wall Street Journal reporter who says EVs are here to stay anyway.
- Top Republican transportation officials laid out their priorities for the next surface transportation funding bill at an American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials conference last week, among them streamline the permitting process, giving states more authority, safety and focusing on roads and bridges. (Transport Topics)
- Even though the Biden administration had a mixed record on transportation, the Trump administration is clearly going to be worse, which makes state-level policy all the more important. (streets.mn)
- The Atlanta Journal-Constitution‘s transportation columnist says Secretary Sean Duffy’s memo on birth and marriage rates is “absurd.”
- With all the concern about crime and shootings in New York City in recent years, drivers are still more likely to kill you than guns. (Gothamist)
- A California poll found that 54 percent of Bay Area voters support a half-cent sales tax to avoid major transit cuts, but that’s well short of the two-thirds required to pass such a measure. (PR Newswire)
- The Austin city council unanimously outlawed parking in a bike lane. (KUT)
- Portland will spend $10 million over the next five years on a bike lane maintenance team with two street cleaners and electric leaf blowers to keep bike lanes clear. (BikePortland)
- A North Dakota bill would provide $5 million in funding for the state’s four largest transit agencies. (Grand Forks Herald)
- Tallin, the capital of Estonia, is undertaking a study to reduce road noise. (Smart Cities World)
- A new study found that people — well, Germans, at least, maybe not so much Americans — are surprisingly willing to listen to the advice of climate experts, even when it seems counterintuitive. (Anthropocene)
- Boxer and former Philippines senator Manny Pacquiao issued a public apology after his security guards were caught driving in a Manilla bus lane. (Panay 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
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
