Thursday’s Headlines Are Faster Than a Speeding Bullet Train
Amtrak lost a champion in Joe Biden just as new, more advanced trains are set to start running up and down the East Coast.
By
Blake Aued
12:01 AM EDT on August 21, 2025
- The next generation of Acela trains promises faster speeds and higher ridership, but they’re entering service at a time when the future of Amtrak is in doubt. (The Conversation)
- E-bikes could one day replace cars, but they should be separated from traditional bikes and pedestrians due to their speeds. (The Guardian)
- States are putting more emphasis on road usage and EV registration fees to raise revenue for road maintenance. (Transport Topics)
- The U.S. DOT is once again threatening to withhold transit funding from New York City, this time over subway track maintenance. (Reuters)
- Chicago recently eliminated minimum parking requirements for developments near transit stops. (Sun-Times)
- Salt Lake City officials are not sure they can keep up with all the requests for neighborhood traffic calming. (KSL)
- Indianapolis transit agency IndyGo budget is rising $90 million, much of which will go toward Blue Line bus rapid transit construction. (Mirror Indy)
- Maryland’s Purple Line is set to open in 2027. (Bethesda Today)
- A new poll found that almost three-quarters of Buffalo residents support light rail expansion (Buffalo-Toronto Public Media), but opinions were split at a passionate town hall meeting (WKBW)
- Houston’s “Rail Watch” website provides real-time information about trains stopped at rail crossings. (Houston Public Media)
- The temporary closure of I-5 in Seattle led to a reprieve from freeway noise, but also a flood of traffic on side streets. (Seattle Times)
- Toronto’s new plan to build dense housing near transit stations shows it’s serious about being a global city, writes Brandon Donnelly.
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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