House of Representatives
House Votes to Slash Amtrak Funding Just Hours After Horrible Crash
Just hours after seven people were killed and hundreds injured in an Amtrak derailment near Philadelphia, the U.S. House voted to cut funding for the passenger rail service.
May 13, 2015
House Bill Proposes to Slash TIGER Funding
Federal lawmakers are running out of time to come up with a long-term transportation funding solution by May 31, when the current bill expires. Meanwhile, the House Appropriations Committee has released a budget for FY 2016, which begins in October, that proposes to drastically reduce funds for projects that promote walking and biking.
April 29, 2015
Movement in Congress to Let Cities and Towns Access Federal Transpo Funds
Finally, proof that Congress is capable of crafting smart transportation legislation and not just zany ways to avoid raising the gas tax.
March 23, 2015
Obama’s New Transportation Budget: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
With federal transportation funding on track to run dry by May 31, Washington lawmakers are gearing up again to reset national transportation policy... or, if that doesn't work out, to limp along indefinitely under the status quo.
February 2, 2015
Koch-Funded Groups: Cut All Federal Funding for Walking, Biking, Transit
You know it's time to fight over the federal transportation bill when the fossil fuel-soaked elements of the conservative movement start agitating to stop funding everything except car infrastructure.
January 29, 2015
DeFazio, Norton, and Larsen Take on Dangerous Street Design
Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR) is already proving that he’ll put some muscle into the fight for bike and pedestrian safety in his new post as ranking member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
December 18, 2014
Congress Gives Itself More Free Parking Than Its Own Rules Allow
As TransitCenter and the Frontier Group reported last week, the federal government pays a huge $7.3 billion subsidy to people who drive to work by making commuter parking expenses tax exempt. There are countless reasons for Congress to scrap this poorly-conceived, congestion-inducing subsidy. While policymakers consider the big picture, they also ought to examine how their own parking benefits are administered.
November 24, 2014
Lawmakers Could Finally Equalize Benefits for Transit and Parking This Year
It’s time to rev up the annual fight over parity between federal transit and parking benefits for commuters. Members of Congress hope this might finally be the year to get it done.
November 12, 2014
Top House Dem on Transportation, Nick Rahall, Lost His Seat. That’s OK.
Four years ago, another stunning night of GOP victories took out Representative Jim Oberstar, the Minnesota Democrat who chaired the House Transportation Committee. Had Oberstar kept his seat, the new GOP majority would have cost him the gavel, but he would have continued as ranking Democrat. Instead, Rep. Nick Rahall of West Virginia coal country took his place. Now, Rahall is out the door too.
November 5, 2014
Congress Hits the Snooze Button on Transpo Funding Until May
Someone had to cave and last night, it was the Senate.
August 1, 2014