ASC's Intersections Newsletter — July 23, 2026
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Nora's Note
This Wednesday, our interns put me in the hot seat.
During their ASC Boost session this week, I answered our intern cohort's questions about the moment Arch Street's mission came into focus, and what it's meant to build this company as a woman-owned business.
Thirty years ago, I won a contract with the Westchester County Department of Transportation to produce Try Transit Week. That project changed the direction of my career. I learned that a great transit system doesn't guarantee affluence; but an ineffective one guarantees poverty. Without reliable transportation, people lose access to jobs, health care, school, the basic infrastructure of opportunity. That's when transportation stopped being just an industry to me and became a social issue — the thing I've built my career around ever since.
Being woman-owned has never been separate from that fight. It wasn't until 1974 that women could get a loan, a mortgage, or a credit card without a male cosigner. Access to capital is still an uphill climb. Today there are 13.3 million women-owned businesses in the U.S. (42% of all businesses nationwide) generating $1.8 trillion in revenue. ASC has earned our place, one relationship at a time. As Shirley Chisholm said, "If they don't give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair." Women-owned businesses do that every day, and for us, networking has always been how.
“What I appreciated most about Nora's talk was how practical and relevant it felt to us as interns,” said Ryan Brown. “Drawing on her own experience, she shared thoughtful advice on how to network authentically and build relationships that last. I'm looking forward to putting her advice into practice at my next networking event.”
What stayed with me wasn't my own story, it was the questions. This cohort is already asking the kind of sharp, unafraid questions that shape how leaders and companies grow.
Transportation
Sound Transit, a Seattle-region public transit agency, opened the Crosslake Connection light rail line, which runs across a floating bridge connecting Seattle to the east side, making it the first of its kind in the world. This project was a massive feat, one that required meticulous public engagement and engineering innovation. The line opened just in time to accommodate an influx of tourists to Seattle for the World Cup. Learn more about Sound Transit's commitment to affordable and sustainable travel in the region. (Source: Streetsblog)
The Builder’s Daily: North Caroline kicks parking rules to the curb in statewide reform
Gothamist: World Cup marks a rare goaaaaal for New York area transit
AMNY: Next Mile NYC program expands to New Yorkers on probation
Climate
Washington is preparing to build its first wildlife crossing over Interstate 5, thanks in part to a 94-acre farm the Erickson family sold for $1.1 million to help clear the right-of-way for the overpass. Beyond cutting vehicle collisions, the bridge would reconnect fragmented habitat between the Cascades and the Olympic Peninsula, offering a lifeline to black bears, cougars, elk, and other species. Read more to learn about how such crossings can reduce billions in collision related costs. (Source: GoodGoodGood)
Utility Dive: What the US can learn from Australia’s home battery boom
Inside Climate News: In search of funding to fight the climate crisis, local leaders turn to diplomacy
Grist: New York Governor Kathy Hochul orders first statewide data center moratorium
Economic Development
Frequently cited as having the highest living costs in the country, San Francisco is rethinking its affordable housing policies as leaders search for ways to revive stalled residential development. As part of these initiatives, the city’s Board of Supervisors voted to reduce inclusionary housing requirements from 15% to as low as 5% for some projects while proposing to expand the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, highlighting the debate over balancing affordability requirements with new construction. Read more to explore the policy changes and their potential impact on housing production. (Source: Smart Cities Dive)
The City Reporter: Council approves $10k perk for public school paraprofessionals
34 News: Construction underway to transform Marine Drive housing in Buffalo
AP News: PHFA awards $25M in HOME-ARP funding
Digital
The next generation of the internet may be built for AI. Current AI, a nonprofit backed by leaders from OpenAI, Google, and the Mozilla Foundation, is developing an open framework that allows AI systems to discover, communicate with, and use online information more like humans browse the web today. Supporters say the effort could prevent a handful of tech companies from controlling how AI accesses the internet, while creating a more open, interoperable digital ecosystem for developers, organizations, and users alike. Read more on the budding digital revolution here. (Source: TechCrunch)
Forbes: Clean energy tech deals are booming—powered by data centers
GovTech: New startup aims to modernize local government budgeting
Route Fifty: Judge reinstates digital equity grants
About Arch Street Communications
At ASC, we help government agencies, corporations and nonprofit organizations across the globe communicate issues that affect people’s lives. We’re the bold, nimble, women-owned small business (WBE) that has supported strategic communications programs to build stronger communities for 30 years.
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