Mica: New Federal Transpo Bill Should Have the Need for Speed
The allure of misguided rhetoric doesn't discriminate between Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill. For every moment of questionable logic from one of the parties, a moment of good sense can usually be found.
June 17, 2009
DOT Defines High-Speed Rail: ‘Reasonably Expected to Reach … 110 MPH’
The federal DOT has just released its guidance for states seeking a share of its $8 billion in high-speed rail funding -- and tucked in the rules are standards that could prove crucial to the project's success.
June 17, 2009
Today’s Headlines
House Democrats are eyeing a $450 billion price tag for their federal transportation bill but haven’t solved the revenue puzzle (WSJ) Obama administration’s new climate change report says transportation will affect the warming planet … but the warming planet also will affect transportation (NYT) Local transit agencies cheer the war spending bill for allowing them … Continued
June 17, 2009
Who Still Thinks the Federal Transportation Bill Will Pass On Time?
Rep. Jim Oberstar (D-MN), chairman of the House transportation committee, has vowed not to support any short-term extensions of the federal transportation bill that's poised to expire on September 30. But Oberstar's commitment to getting the dense legislation to the president's desk on time may be tested by leaders of his own party.
June 16, 2009
Oberstar’s Transportation Unveiling Moved to Thursday
Through a post on his Twitter feed, House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Jim Oberstar (D-MN) reveals that his release of an outline for the next federal transportation bill has been pushed back by a day.
June 16, 2009
WHO Report Highlights Global Health Risk of Traffic
The disparity between the 13 percent of road fatalities suffered by non-drivers and the amount that the federal government spends on their safety -- less than 1 percent -- may come as a surprise to some Americans. But the situation is far worse in the developing world, according to a new World Health Organization report.
June 16, 2009
GOP’s New Attack on Health Care Reform Bill: It Promotes Walking!
Despite a growing awareness among conservatives that walking and biking are causes worth backing, Republicans on Capitol Hill continue to condemn bike-ped programs as wasteful "pork". The GOP's latest potshots at sustainable transportation come during debate over a health care bill that focuses mainly on insurance and hospitals, but also includes a public health grant program aimed at encouraging exercise.
June 16, 2009
In the Works: Senate Bill to Promote Sustainable Development
In Washington politics, the term "kumbaya moment" is used to describe those rare occasions when self-interested stakeholders join hands to support a set of reforms. And today's appearance before the Senate Banking Committee by the chiefs of three Cabinet departments -- Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and the Environmental Protection Agency -- definitely qualified for kumbaya status.
June 16, 2009
Today’s Headlines
Could a delay in the federal transportation bill spell trouble for the NYC-NJ transit tunnel? (Star-Ledger) Not everyone in Michigan likes Rep. Candice Miller’s (D) plan to save the state’s federal road aid (Detroit Free Press) Gas prices top $3 per gallon in California — are more states to come? (CNN Money) James Surowiecki has … Continued
June 16, 2009
Report: Nation’s Cities Not Getting Their Share of Stimulus Transpo Money
The nation's largest metropolitan areas -- which account for 63 percent of the U.S. population and 73 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) -- have received less than half of the surface transportation money allocated so far underthe Obama administration's economic stimulus plan, according to a new report compiled for the U.S. Conference of Mayors.
June 15, 2009