Wednesday’s Headlines Are in the Eye of the Beholder
Sen. Joni Ernst's definition of a "boondoggle" is not the same as Streetsblog's. Plus, the bike lane culture war rages on.
By
Blake Aued
12:01 AM EDT on September 23, 2026
- Before adjourning for the fall, the U.S. House passed Sen. Joni Ernst’s “Billion Dollar Boondoggle Bill.” It’s ostensibly aimed at any late or over-budget transportation project, but Ernst, an Iowa Republican, has chosen to highlight only rail and transit projects as “boondoggles,” not wasteful highways or aviation. (Eno Center for Transportation)
- The DemograFix podcast discusses how bike lanes became a culture-war wedge issue pitting cities against the suburbs, despite all the evidence showing they’re good policy, and concerns are usually unfounded. (Missing Middle Initiative)
- While the media pays a lot of attention to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s “fast, free buses” initiative, other cities across the country have quietly and successfully implemented fare-free transit. (Streetsblog USA)
- A California inspector general’s report warns that high-speed rail could run out of money by the end of 2037, forcing further reductions to the already-shortened route. (Newsweek)
- Bay Area drivers might regret it if they don’t back a tax hike for transit this November, because they could see their commute times over the Bay Bridge double if transit agencies enter a death spiral. (San Francisco Chronicle)
- Pittsburgh transit advocates are looking for a bolder plan to redesign bus routes. (WESA)
- Tennessee is looking to turn 10 acres of state-owned parking around the capitol building in Nashville into a mixed-use development. (News Channel 5)
- The Atlanta city council approved a resolution calling for a plan to fund a $3.5 billion light rail system on the Beltline. (Fox 5)
- A former New Orleans Regional Transit Authority executive is back in the mix to become its next CEO. (NOLA.com)
- The Seattle city council passed a package of street safety bills, with one change beefing up the city DOT’s authority to change roadways in historic districts. (The Urbanist)
- Fort Worth residents are excited about the possibility of transit-oriented development around rail stations. (Report)
- After almost 20 years, Denver might finally build a couple blocks of the 5280 Trail. (Denverite)
- Albuquerque is building protected bike lanes on bus Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue. (KRQE)
- The COVID-19 pandemic largely killed off PARK(ing) Day by normalizing taking space from cars and turning it over to people. But in Toronto, it’s still going strong. (Carbon Upfront!)
- A study from a the UK’s University of Hertfordshire says that sprawling new developments are often repeating the mistakes of the past by centering driving over transit.
- London is trying to become more equitable in where it builds bike infrastructure so that all city residents benefit from cleaner air. (Momentum)
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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