How Car Dealers Wiggled Out of the Democrats’ Consumer Protection Bill
Auto loans and leases account for a major chunk of the U.S. financial market -- one nonpartisan research group recently pegged American car debt at $850 billion, larger than the entire credit-card industry. So perhaps it shouldn't be surprising that car dealers' lobbied themselves an exemption from the new consumer watchdog included in the House financial reform bill that cleared the House earlier this month.
December 30, 2009
Today’s Headlines
U.S. DOT launches new website to promote campaign against texting while driving (Det. News) New Deal skeptic Amity Shlaes thinks infrastructure stimulus might be worth it … and points out the downside of the interstate highway system (Bloomberg) Transit advertising can play a crucial role in D.C. advocacy groups’ PR strategy (NYT) Washington D.C. begins … Continued
December 30, 2009
The 2009 Capitol Hill Streetsies: And the Nominees Are …
The year-end Streetsie Awards are a time-honored tradition at Streetsblog -- check out New York's first round of honorees, hot off the presses today -- and Capitol Hill certainly has provided plenty of material. Without further ado, here are the nominees for Washington's brightest and bleakest moments of 2009. Winners will be announced on New Year's Eve, so don't forget to root for your favorites (by emailing elana [at] streetsblog [dot] org).
December 29, 2009
Today’s Headlines
(ed. note. Sorry for the late posting -- had some technical difficulties at Streetsblog Capitol Hill HQ.)
December 29, 2009
Adding a Dose of Honesty to the Congressional Job-Creation Debate
The House's $75 billion jobs bill was intended as a holiday gift to out-of-work voters, but transportation reformers were less than thrilled with lawmakers' decision to mimic the first stimulus law's use of outmoded funding formulas to send three times as much money to roads as to transit.
December 28, 2009
Today’s Headlines
The transportation security fallout from Christmas Day plane-bombing attempt (NYT) Transit saw a 3.8 percent drop in ridership during the first 9 months of 2009 … (NYT Blogs) … but not in San Francisco (SF Gate) Siemens among the manufacturers poised to drive a future U.S. high-speed rail boom (Reuters) While the Obama administration pushes … Continued
December 28, 2009
Four Finalists For White House High-Speed Rail Funding?
That was the eyebrow-raising suggestion reported by the Orlando Sentinel today after Rep. John Mica (R-FL) helped mark the beginning of central Florida's commuter-rail era, made possible by landmark legislation signed into state law this week.
December 18, 2009
Battle Heats Up Over Pennsylvania Tolling, With National Implications
For more than two years, Pennsylvania transportation planners have sought federal permission to make I-80 one of only three interstates in America approved for tolling.
December 18, 2009
Today’s Headlines
Very bad news for train riders in the northeast: The Obama administration’s first rounds of high-speed rail money are unlikely to help improve Acela service, due to lengthy environmental reviews required by U.S. DOT (Globe) Two disparate takes on the House jobs bill: Does it represent “room for real debate” on a new federal transportation … Continued
December 18, 2009
Two Dems Propose to End Bush-Era Rule on Transit ‘Cost-Effectiveness’
New Starts, the main federal method for funding big-ticket transit projects, is considered sorely in need of a makeover by many in the capital.
December 17, 2009