Today’s Headlines
Kerry reveals details of upcoming Senate climate bill (Politico) Conservatives anxiously eyeing LaHood’s next move at U.S. DOT (Amer. Spectator) Transit equity advocates painting giant red “X” on Atlanta rail cars today to protest service cuts (Creative Loafing) Portland gets $2.4m grant from feds to work on new, overhead wire-free streetcar technology (Prog. RR’ing) A … Continued
April 20, 2010
Obama Energy Aide: ‘We Probably Saw Peak Demand for Gas … in 2007’
The decline in American driving that began at the start of the recession, fueled by record-high gas prices, came to an end late last year. But the Obama administration believes that its transport and energy policies have ushered in a long-term shift, "changing the fuel mix in ways that will drive down gasoline demand," according to a senior adviser to Energy Secretary Steven Chu.
April 19, 2010
Detroit Residents Press EPA for Stronger Air Pollution Monitoring
In Washington, "grassroots lobbying" is more often associated with industry-funded issue campaigns than ground-up local advocacy. But residents of Detroit's industrial southwest neighborhoods took the term back to its roots on Friday, getting a personal visit from Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officials after a groundswell of complaints about decaying air quality.
April 19, 2010
Former U.S. DOT Chief on the Worst-Case Scenario: 4 Years of Extensions
To a certain extent, hope springs eternal in federal transportation circles. Even as state DOTs and metropolitan planning organizations operate under the latest in a series of extensions of the 2005 law that governs road, transit, and bike-ped spending, few are willing to envision a future in which new legislation doesn't pass by next year.
April 19, 2010
Today’s Headlines
Erupting volcano continues to snarl flights, hobble infrastructure in Europe … (NYT) … as even the most famous travelers seek road and rail alternatives (WSJ) Trouble for Cleveland’s Innerbelt Bridge project? Ohio state inspector issues critical report (Dispatch) LaHood to attend Mississippi River bridge groundbreaking today (News-Dem) Toyota’s dilemma: Fight the U.S. DOT or pay … Continued
April 19, 2010
Congress Approves Repayment for U.S. DOT Workers Furloughed by Bunning
After a six-week delay, Congress last night agreed to repay U.S. DOT employees for the two days of work they missed when Sen. Jim Bunning (R-KY) filibustered an extension of the 2005 transportation law, forcing a temporary shutdown of much of the federal agency's business.
April 16, 2010
‘Gas Tax’ Sounding Like a Four-Letter Word to the White House and Senate
Transportation groups of all shapes and sizes have been concerned that the Senate's forthcoming climate bill could set back the prospects for a federal transportation measure by imposing extra carbon fees on Big Oil -- which would then be passed on to customers at the pump, effectively increasing the gas tax for purposes other than funding new infrastructure projects.
April 16, 2010
Today’s Headlines
As environmental groups head to the White House for a meeting on the Senate climate bill, its unveiling pushed back by another week (Greenwire, Nat Jrnl) Democrats warn the Obama administration not to treat GM’s pension liabilities as its own (Det. News) House transportation committee members urge White House to roll back rule allowing Mexican … Continued
April 16, 2010
Menendez Proposes Tax Credit for Transit-Oriented Development
New construction projects that are within a half-mile of transit stations and exceeding national energy-efficiency standards would be eligible for a tax credit under legislation introduced today by Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ), the senior member of the Banking Committee's transit panel.
April 15, 2010
Senate GOP Continues to Resist Sanctions-Based Distracted Driving Rules
The Senate environment committee's senior Republican yesterday joined his counterpart on the commerce panel in criticizing legislation that would withhold federal highway funding from states that fail to crack down on distracted driving, casting doubt on Congress' ability to approve any punitive approach to reining in texting and cell phone use by drivers.
April 15, 2010