Friday’s Headlines Fear for Amtrak
Amtrak may not survive the second Trump administration, let alone the slow progress on expansion made under President Biden.
By
Blake Aued
12:01 AM EST on February 21, 2025
- Bipartisan support in Congress saved Amtrak during the first Trump administration, but it may not this help. And the slow pace at which the Biden administration doled out grants for rail projects didn’t help. (Trains)
- While the federal government is pulling back support for electric vehicles, states don’t have to wait to make the transition. (State Smart Transportation Initiative)
- Cities need to look at charging infrastructure, grid capacity and route planning if they want to successfully electrify their bus fleets. (Transport Matters)
- At Slate, Henry Grabar demolishes the Trump administration’s flimsy legal justification for attempting to stop congestion pricing in Manhattan.
- A new poll found that 54 percent of California residents support high-speed rail. (KTLA)
- Dallas’ Regional Transportation Council voted narrowly to stay neutral on a Texas bill that would allow area cities to cut their payments to DART. (KERA)
- Developing more housing near transit in Philadelphia could be the answer to SEPTA’s funding woes. (Citizen)
- Instead of enforcing traffic laws among drivers, Miami police are busy ticketing pedestrians. (CBS News)
- Boston Mayor Michelle Wu’s pro-bike and pro-transit record will be a campaign issue as eshe runs for re-election. (Globe)
- Austin installed protected bike lanes, new crosswalks and other safety improvements at one of its high-crash intersections. (Community Impact)
- An Atlanta Beltline connection to busy Ponce de Leon Avenue is set to open in April. (Urbanize Atlanta)
- Athens, Georgia is planning a potential bus link to nearby Atlanta. (Flagpole)
- Newport is creating a Vision Zero plan. (Daily News)
- Kalamazoo’s Streets for All program resulted in a 27 percent reduction in crashes. (WKZO)
- Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau formally announced a high-speed rail line between Toronto and Quebec City. (CBC)
- Montreal is turning an abandoned railway into an urban park. (Globe and Mail)
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
Thursday’s Headlines Have a License to Chill
Many young people aren't all that interested in driving, or can't afford to own a car. Will transit advocates let Uber win them over?
May 28, 2026
America Keeps Building Stadiums Like Transit Doesn’t Matter
What would it take to build a truly transit-oriented sports stadium in Washington D.C., rather than repeating the mistakes of the past?
May 28, 2026
Why BUILD America 250 Would Be Uniquely Bad For Passenger Rail
Congress' first draft of the new infrastructure law would be a massive step backwards for passenger rail, one advocacy group says — and not just because the last one raised the bar.
May 27, 2026
Wednesday’s Headlines Missed an Opportunity
The BUILD America 250 Act is headed for a House vote, and it looks like more of the status quo for federal transportation funding.
May 27, 2026
California Climate Funding Fight Pits Transit and Housing Advocates Against Oil Industry Giveaways
In a time when global events are sceaming, "WE NEED TO MOVE AWAY FROM FOSSIL FUELS," California considers a measure to cut transit (and affordable housing) funding to reduce oil prices.
May 26, 2026
