U.S. DOT
How Will the Next Transpo Secretary Build on Ray LaHood’s Legacy?
He strung it out long enough, but Ray LaHood has finally announced that he’s resigning as Transportation Secretary. Speculation has been rampant for months about who could replace him, and now it kicks into high gear.
January 30, 2013
It’s Official: LaHood Is Out
After a few false alarms, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has finally come out and said it: He's leaving the administration.
January 29, 2013
Moving People or Moving Vehicles: How Should We Grade America’s Streets?
Darren Flusche is the policy director of the League of American Bicyclists.
November 27, 2012
Streetsblog Readers Have Spoken: Janette Sadik-Khan For DOT Secretary
On Friday, we put this question to our readers: Who should be the next Transportation Secretary? And lucky for us, 323 of you had nothing better to do with your weekend than answer our poll.
November 19, 2012
Poll: Who Should Be the Next U.S. Transportation Secretary?
Ryan Holeywell over at Governing Magazine has put together a pretty comprehensive list of possible contenders for the top job at U.S. DOT, if Ray LaHood makes good on his word and splits for the private sector. It's unclear when he's leaving, or if he even really meant to say he was definitely leaving, but odds are there will be a vacancy over there pretty soon.
November 16, 2012
As MAP-21 Takes Effect, Road Builders Vie for TIFIA Funds
It's October 1, the start of the federal government's fiscal year 2013, and the first official day of the MAP-21 transportation law. The law was signed July 6 but got a three-month grace period to let U.S. DOT set guidance and give states a little time to get ready for the new requirements -- things like setting up grant programs to distribute bike/ped funding to local communities (though they can also just squander that money).
October 1, 2012
UPDATE: Here’s Your Chance to Influence MAP-21’s Implementation
UPDATE 9/18 with comments from DOT officials.
September 17, 2012
Will DOT’s New Freight Council Focus on More Than Trucks?
On Thursday, DOT Secretary Ray LaHood announced the creation of a new Freight Policy Council, which is charged with coming up with a freight strategic plan. This is a first step toward a sorely lacking national plan around freight.
August 27, 2012
There’s a Lot Riding on U.S. DOT’s Definition of “Congestion”
Congress has done its job, such as it is, and passed a transportation bill. Now it's handed off the policymaking to U.S. DOT, which must issue a raft of rules, definitions, and guidance to accompany the new law, known as MAP-21.
August 15, 2012
Has DOT Retained a Bit of Say-So on TIFIA?
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced today that the Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for the new, expanded TIFIA loan program is now available [PDF]. The recently-passed MAP-21 transportation reauthorization dramatically expanded TIFIA, bringing the program's funding up from $122 million to $750 million next year and $1 billion in 2014.
July 27, 2012