Monday’s Headlines Fund Transit (Mostly)
A federal transportation bill keeps most of the funding for transit from the Biden administration's infrastructure act, except for steep cuts to intercity rail.
12:01 AM EST on January 26, 2026
- A federal transportation funding bill to keep the government running beyond the end of January drew mixed to positive reviews from transit and passenger rail advocates. It includes $21 billion for public transportation but cuts for Amtrak and intercity rail projects (Smart Cities Dive). The bill also includes $100 million for transit in World Cup host cities and $94 million for Los Angeles, which is hosting the 2028 Summer Olympics and Paralympics (Bloomberg).
- Low-stress streets that encourage walking and biking are particularly effective in areas where alternatives to driving already exist, new research found. (State Smart Transportation Initiative)
- The L.A. Metro approved plans for a $25 billion subway line giving commuters an option besides being stuck in traffic on the 405 freeway. (Fox 11)
- A rally Friday kicked off a campaign to gather signatures to place a Bay Area transit funding initiative on the ballot. (NBC Bay Area)
- A floating bridge carrying light rail trains over Seattle’s Lake Washington, the first of its kind, will open March 28. (KOMO)
- Portland is reducing car lanes and adding a crosswalk to Cesar Chavez Boulevard where a driver killed a woman a year ago. (BikePortland)
- The Ohio DOT is vastly undercounting the number of pedestrian deaths and injuries in Cleveland because about half are never reported to police. (Plain Dealer)
- Phoenix has a bizarre process for considering sidewalk requests that assumes any neighborhood resident who doesn’t respond to a survey is opposed to it. (ABC 15)
- After issuing a flurry of citations to drivers for failing to yield, Des Moines police are about to start cracking down on pedestrians. (Axios)
- Oregon Democrats want to push up a popular vote on a transportation funding package from November to May. (News From the States)
- A woman waiting for a train was killed when a driver ran into a light rail platform near Sacramento. (CBS News)
- Pressure is growing on Denver to reverse its decision to scrap a complete streets plan for Alameda Avenue. (Denver 7)
- A machine called “Brushy” kept the Kansas City streetcar line free of snow — at least for a while (KSHB). Like many cities, its transit system was forced to shut down during last weekend’s winter storm.
- A photography exhibit at San Francisco’s city hall documents transit agency Muni’s 122-year history. (Mission Local)
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