Shuster Pre-empts Devolutionists With Defense of Federal Role
New House Transportation Committee Chair Bill Shuster (R-PA) clearly knows he's got some devolutionist conservatives in his caucus (and on his committee). While many Republicans would like to see the federal government get out of the business of infrastructure and just let the states raise and spend their own money, Shuster has always been clear that he is in favor of a strong federal role.
February 8, 2013
Interior Secretary Nominee Is a Friend to Cyclists — and Oil Drillers?
President Obama's choice for Interior Secretary could be an unexpected breath of fresh air for cyclists. Sally Jewell, nominated to the position yesterday, is the CEO of adventure outfitter REI, a business-minded conservationist -- and a veteran of the fossil fuel industry.
February 7, 2013
Gary Toth: TTI Congestion Scores Prove Road Expansion Isn’t the Answer
In response to yesterday's story on the Texas Transportation Institute's congestion rankings, which take traffic delays out of context and risk being used to justify road expansions, former New Jersey DOT leader Gary Toth raised this question: What if, instead of getting frustrated with the report, we reframe its interpretation?
February 6, 2013
Richard Florida to Obama: Create a Department of Cities
If the U.S. federal bureaucracy includes Cabinet-level agencies dedicated to agriculture and “the interior,” why shouldn’t it have one dedicated to cities, which do so much of the heavy lifting for America’s economic productivity and innovation?
February 6, 2013
TTI Urban Mobility Report Bungles Congestion Analysis Yet Again
At the risk of repeating ourselves: The Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) got it wrong again.
February 5, 2013
Today’s Headlines
Gasoline Took Record-Sized Bite Out of Household Budgets in 2012 (The Hill) First $2 Billion in Sandy Transit Aid Becomes Available (Fast Lane) New Director Sets Plans to Jump-Start Chicago Infrastructure Trust (Crain’s) The Republican Party’s Urban Problem Isn’t Just Cosmetic (Grist) UK Rail Privatization Resulted in Skyrocketing Fares, Cynicism (Mirror, Telegraph) Failed San Diego Neighborhoods … Continued
February 5, 2013
Secretary Villaraigosa? Not So Fast.
A favorite for transportation secretary has stepped out of the race. Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa released a statement late Friday saying he is "flattered and humbled" by the buzz around his candidacy but is "firmly committed to remaining in LA and finishing [his] term.”
February 4, 2013
Today’s Headlines
Villaraigosa: I Won’t Be Your Next Transportation Secretary (HuffPo, Politico) Roundup of Reactions to LaHood’s Resignation (Transpo Issues Daily) Romney Environmental Advisor Gina McCarthy Could Be the Next EPA Administrator (WaPo) Rep. Shuster Reiterates Willingness to Find a Solution to Transpo Funding Crisis (Transport Topics) …Will He Find the $15B Extra Needed to Maintain Infrastructure; $50B More … Continued
February 4, 2013
Quick Hits From U.S. DOT’s TRB Panel
We've had a busy two weeks since the Transportation Research Board conference, and one thing that’s slipped through the cracks is passing on a few tidbits that came at the end of the TRB panel of U.S. DOT officials on January 16.
February 1, 2013