Thursday’s Headlines Are a Gas, Gas, Gas
Key House Republicans killed an irresponsible, politically motivated bill to suspend the federal gas tax.
By
Blake Aued
12:01 AM EDT on September 17, 2026
- Some House Republicans are pushing to suspend the federal gas tax in hopes of improving their re-election chances, even though it would only save drivers a few pennies per gallon, but so far Speaker Mike Johnson has refused (Politico).
- GOP governors are divided on the issue, too. Gov. Mike Braun suspended Indiana’s gas tax, but has had to pay out $139 million to local communities to make up for the lost revenue (WISH). South Carolina’s Henry McMaster remains opposed (Go Upstate).
- Amtrak has settled a longstanding dispute over crossings with freight company Canadian National. (Trains)
- The new CEO of the Metro Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority joined other municipal transit officials in asking Washington for more funding for security and to prevent fare-jumping. (AJC)
- Atlanta’s Downtown Connector is the busiest freeway in the U.S., carrying an average of 405,000 cars a day. (World Atlas)
- Facing drastic budget cuts, the Milwaukee County Transit System is choosing between bus route maps that preserve coverage or preserve service on the most-used routes. (Urban Milwaukee)
- Divvy bikeshare in Chicago had a record 3.5 million users this summer. (Block Club)
- The 2034 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City could provide the impetus to bring Amtrak service back to Boise. (Idaho Statesman)
- Lexington is about to start fining drivers $50 for blocking bike lanes. (Herald-Leader)
- The Mobile city council approved an application for a $1 million federal grant to purchase five trolley-style buses. (Fox 10)
- Ontario is proceeding to tear up 12 miles of Toronto bike lanes. (The Cool Down)
- European bikeshare nextbike saw a 9 percent increase in users last year. (Smart Cities World)
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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