Skip to content

Friday Video: Sen. Ed Markey Says Democrats ‘Have to Fight Harder’

StreetsblogMASS rode the bus from Malden to Chelsea with Sen. Ed Markey to talk federal transportation policy and this fall's elections.
Friday Video: Sen. Ed Markey Says Democrats ‘Have to Fight Harder’
Well if it isn't Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey.

Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) is no stranger to how Washington works, having served in Congress since the mid-1970s. But in a interview-on-a-bus earlier this week with StreetsblogMASS, Markey acknowledged that he and his colleagues on Capitol Hill need to do things differently.

“Democrats have to try. They have to work hard. They have to fight harder. It’s a transition that we have to make. It doesn’t happen by accident. You have to have people who are worried to put themselves on the line,” Markey told StreetsblogMASS Editor Christian MilNeil and reporter Meghan Volcy. “Because that’s what the communities want. They don’t want more highways. They want more affordable public transportation, safer roads, safer ways in which they can be riding their bikes.”

But Markey has given up on getting any of those priorities through a Republican-led Congress. The senator, who faces a challenge from U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton in next Tuesday’s Massachusetts primary, discussed that, his push for more non-highway transportation funding and more.

Watch below, or check out an edited transcript here.

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

Friday’s Headlines Are Cruisin’ in My ’64

August 28, 2026

Talking Headways Podcast: Measuring the Pulse of Urban Development

August 27, 2026

Thursday’s Headlines Are Living for the City

August 27, 2026

NYC Mayor Doubles Down On Robert Moses’s Great Mistake And Will Rebuild An Urban Highway

August 27, 2026

NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani Apologizes For Not Wearing A Helmet And Activists Lose Their Minds

August 26, 2026
See all posts