Good News: Cardin-Cochran Amendment Incorporated Into Senate Bill
Majority Leader Harry Reid has incorporated much of the Ben Cardin/Thad Cochran amendment into the so-called "manager's mark" of the Senate transportation bill. The move means that the amendment's provisions letting local governments directly access funding from popular bicycle and pedestrian programs will be included in the bill without having to come up for a separate vote.
March 2, 2012
Today’s Headlines
Republican Dysfunction, Exhibit A: Highways (Politico) Nope, More Drilling Won’t Bring Back $2.50 a Gallon Gas (WaPo) Highway Bill Inches Forward, Reid Fills Amendment Tree Again (Hill) “Project Streamlining” Could Derail Transportation Bill (Trans. Issues Daily) Bruce Katz: Better Economic Structure Will Save Cities (Wired) A Graphical Look at the Slowing Growth of Car Travel … Continued
March 2, 2012
With Contraception Vote Over, Senate Can Finally Get to Transpo Issues
The U.S. Senate voted 51-48 today to reject an amendment to their transportation bill that would overturn measures in President Obama's signature health care law dealing with contraception coverage. The vote clears the way for the Senate to finally begin considering actual transportation issues rather than dealing with delay tactics.
March 1, 2012
House Scales Back Transpo Bill But Keeps on Attacking Safe Streets
UPDATE (3:45 p.m.): Citing a lack of support from his colleagues, Speaker John Boehner has dropped his 18-month transportation proposal and has not yet offered an alternative, according to Politico. "A five-year bill is the best way to do this," he said.
March 1, 2012
Today’s Headlines
House GOP Floats 18-Month Transpo Bill (Transpo Nation) Several Amendments Could Help Passage of House Bill (T4America) “Highway” Bill Causes More GOP Road Rage (Politico) Obama’s High-speed Rail Plans Hit Traffic (KC Star) US Regulators Nearing Decision in Freight Rail-Shipper Dispute (WSJ) Illinois Advocates Push Gas Tax Increase to Support Transit (Grid Chicago) Activists Revolted … Continued
March 1, 2012
Congress to America: “Get a Car!”
Photographer and blogger Jay Mallin, whose video of Woodbridge, VA police ticketing injured pedestrians was picked up by Streetsblog NYC a year ago, has turned his attention to the congressional transportation debacle.
February 29, 2012
Mounting Transportation and Housing Costs Devour Household Budgets
On Monday we wrote that Americans can't afford a transportation bill that locks households into the expenses of car dependence. Yesterday the Center for Neighborhood Technology hammered the point home, releasing new data showing how communities are getting less and less affordable nationwide.
February 29, 2012
House GOP Regroups While Senate Dems Tackle Amendments
Last week's big news -- that the House transportation bill faces a likely overhaul by its Republican authors -- rippled through Washington faster than you can say, "gas tax increases are off the table." Very little is known yet about the revised House bill, except that it will probably restore dedicated funding for mass transit, which is good but by no means a fix.
February 27, 2012
Encouraging News on Transit, But Serious Flaws Remain in House Transpo Bill
Hold that victory lap: While it's true that House Republicans are revamping their transportation bill, it's time once again to wait and see just how bad the bill still is.
February 24, 2012
Today’s Headlines
More About the House GOP Revamp of Transpo Bill (WaPo, T4America, Trans. Issues Daily) House Dems Applaud Boehner’s Retreat (Hill) In Dallas Visit, Rogoff Supports Use of Gas Tax for Transit Funding (Morning News) If People Got Rid of Their Extra Cars, They Could Buy an Extra House (Grist) Georgia Senate Bill Would Outlaw Two-Abreast … Continued
February 24, 2012