Today’s Headlines
One day after President Obama signaled a loss of momentum for climate change legislation, he walks back the notion as one GOP senator urges Democrats not to pass “some half-assed energy bill” instead (MoJo Blog) Limit the amount of smog produced by autos and other fossil fuel-burners? Texas officials say heck no (NYT) Schwarzenegger joins … Continued
February 4, 2010
A High-Speed Rail Reality Check for Texas
Despite data backing up the White House's assertion that politics played no role in high-speed rail decision-making, Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) -- waging a re-election bid against a GOP primary challenger as well as the Democratic mayor of Houston -- wasn't shy about complaining after his state received less than one-hundredth of the $1.8 billion in rail stimulus it had requested.
February 3, 2010
White House Pitches $400M for Healthier Neighborhood Food Outlets
The connection between walkable development and grocery shopping may not seem immediately apparent -- until you consider studies conducted in cities from Austin to Seattle that showed the share of trips taken by foot or by transit rises as local food outlets move closer to residential areas.
February 3, 2010
Miami, Sacramento, Boston Transit Projects Still Seeking Federal Approval
Amid the good vibes yesterday over new federal funding agreements for transit projects in New York City, Oakland, Hartford, and other metro areas, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) also offered a spell of bad news to a few local proposals that are still working to meet the agency's standards for aid.
February 3, 2010
Today’s Headlines
Senate’s jobs bill, still slated for release this week, is expected to include a one-year extension of existing transportation law to keep the highway trust fund afloat (WaPo) Infrastructure expert Rob Puentes: The White House’s budget’s focus on transportation alone for its National Infrastructure Fund is “somewhat disappointing” (TNR’s The Avenue) Fast Company takes a … Continued
February 3, 2010
A Modest Proposal: Ask Developers to Help Pay For Better Transport
At today's debate on conservative support for transit, developer Chris Leinberger had a modest proposal for lawmakers who are desperately seeking new transportation financing strategies in an era of diminishing gas tax returns: Ask real-estate developers to pay for projects that will increase their profits.
February 2, 2010
How Can Transit Backers Sway Conservatives? Oberstar Joins the Debate
In the years before partisan warfare became the norm in Washington, transportation tended to unite both ends of the ideological spectrum. Can rationality return to infrastructure policy debates that have become subsumed by culture clashes between cyclists and drivers, urbanists and suburbanites -- and, of course, Democrats and Republicans?
February 2, 2010
U.S. DOT Names the Transit Projects Set for Federal Funding
The Obama administration last night revealed the names of local transit projects getting recommendations for federal aid under the U.S. DOT's New and Small Starts programs, which are set to receive $1.8 billion during fiscal year 2011.
February 2, 2010
Today’s Headlines
Bad news for Big Oil in the White House budget, which seeks to axe $36.5B in subsidies — but will Congress go along? (TNR’s The Vine) That $100m jobs bill, including infrastructure, that the White House is hoping for? It might look considerably smaller once the Senate acts, perhaps this week (Politico) Georgia political heavyweights … Continued
February 2, 2010
LaHood Talks Budget: “Very Bright” Future for Infrastructure Fund
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said today that he sees "very bright" prospects for congressional approval of the Obama administration's $4 billion National Infrastructure Innovation and Finance Fund, the new iteration of the long-discussed National Infrastructure Bank proposal.
February 1, 2010