A Common Thread in the Home Buyer’s Tax Credit and ‘Cash for Clunkers’
Back in the days of "cash for clunkers," which saw the Obama administration send nearly $3 billion in taxpayer-funded rebates to boost the sagging auto industry, our Ryan Avent and several other economics wonks pointed out an inconvenient fact: Many participants in the program would have bought cars anyway, and the rebates only pulled their purchases forward in time.
January 20, 2010
Dodd and DeLauro Vow to Get Infrastructure Bank Done This Year
Supporters from every corner of the transportation universe joined Gov. Ed Rendell (D-PA), Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), and Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) today at a press event aimed at jumpstarting a National Infrastructure Bank (NIB), which the two Connecticut lawmakers vowed to steer to passage this year.
January 20, 2010
Today’s Headlines
What could the Massachusetts Senate race portend for the Democrats’ economic agenda, including their infrastructure-rich jobs bill? (Atlantic Blogs) New research shows that Texas students are more likely to miss school for health reasons when air pollution climbs — even within legal limits … (Star-Telegram) … meanwhile, the state is resigned to missing out on … Continued
January 20, 2010
For D.C. Area Residents, a Worthy Take on the Year in Transport
When the Washington Post devoted an entire transportation column to the "best and worst" of 2009 -- its content written by interest groups with a stake in adding more lanes for more cars -- Streetsblog Network member blog Greater Greater Washington (GGW) took the initiative and sent in its own retrospective.
January 19, 2010
Obama Quietly Gets Federal Agencies Involved in Transport Planning
When President Obama signed an executive order in October requiring federal agencies to craft strategies for reducing their greenhouse gas emissions, he described the mandate as Washington "lead[ing] by example" on the pollution-reduction front.
January 19, 2010
CBO Echoes Obama’s Candor on the Pitfalls of ‘Shovel-Readiness’
During last month's White House jobs summit, President Obama carved out some common ground with critics of his first stimulus law's $47 billion in infrastructure spending -- which was distributed mainly by the book through state DOTs. "The term "shovel-ready," let’s be honest here, doesn’t always live up to its billing," he acknowledged.
January 19, 2010
Today’s Headlines
Distracted pedestrians: still not as dangerous as their driving counterparts (NYT) At the Detroit auto show, signs of government control over the industry were plentiful (Newsweek) Missouri business and labor groups start a new Transportation Alliance to find solutions to the state’s funding crisis (KC Star) In Minnesota, a local editorial board questions whether easier … Continued
January 19, 2010
Could a Green Bank Hitch a Ride on the Jobs Bill?
Fans of a National Infrastructure Bank (NIB) that would help leverage private-sector funding for transportation projects are still hoping for Hill action after the House declined to add the idea to its $154 billion jobs bill. But the NIB isn't the only new financing strategy on the table, as Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) reminded President Obama yesterday.
January 15, 2010
Enviro Group Sees State DOTs’ Transport Predictions — and Raises Them
Just before New Year's, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), the Washington voice for state DOTs that's often dubbed the "road lobby," counted down 10 hot topics for 2010.
January 15, 2010