Streetsblog Capitol Hill
Can L.A. Put the “10” in Its “30/10” Transit Plan?
As Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa continues to push for federal help with expediting his "30/10" transit expansion plan, winning support from California's Democratic senators, one big question remains unanswered: Can the city actually get all of its 13 proposed projects done within a decade, even if Washington steps in?
April 7, 2010
Who’s Afraid of Federal Action on Climate Change?
In financial reports that publicly traded companies file to their investors and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the words "material adverse effect" are often found.
April 7, 2010
Coming Soon to Popular Transport Stimulus Programs: Local Funding
Two of the most popular transportation programs in the Obama administration's stimulus law, the $1.5 billion in competitive grants known as TIGER and the $8 billion high-speed rail initiative, had an added feature that made them even more attractive to cities and states: the federal funding awards would not require a local match.
April 7, 2010
Pennsylvania’s Bid to Toll I-80 Rejected by Feds
Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell (D) has scheduled a press conference this afternoon to discuss his pitch for new tolls on Interstate 80, but local media reports are already suggesting that his news is not good: the federal government has rejected the state's bid to toll the highway, leaving its transportation budget short at least $450 million.
April 6, 2010
Would the New Senate Fuel Tax Deal a Death Blow to the Transport Bill?
Eight Democrats yesterday joined nearly the entire transportation universe, from road-builders to transit advocates, to warn the three Senate authors of a new climate bill against raising gas taxes without using the money for infrastructure. Their message, translated from the often impenetrable language of Washington: Imposing new fuel fees that are not routed to transport projects could torpedo the next long-term federal bill -- which is already on life support.
April 6, 2010
8 Senate Dems Join Industry in a Gas-Tax Warning to Climate Bill’s Authors
As Sens. John Kerry (D-MA), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), and Joseph Lieberman (I-CT) prepare to unveil a new climate change measure that includes a tax on motor fuels, eight of their colleagues are urging the trio not to forget local transportation planning -- and warning that any new gas tax should be used to help pay for a new federal infrastructure bill, not redirected for other purposes.
April 5, 2010
Report: Bush-Era Transit ‘Cost-Effectiveness’ Rule to Cost Charlotte $67M
When the Obama administration moved in January to undo a 2005 rule that made a federal "cost-effectiveness" rating the most important factor in determining which transit projects received funding, critics and even some transit advocates were skeptical, questioning whether the U.S. DOT would be able to legitimately quantify the community-building benefits of rail and bus networks.
April 5, 2010
What Happened to the Proposed ‘Transportation Tax’ on Wall Street?
For several weeks last fall, as members of the House infrastructure committee pushed for passage of a new six-year federal transportation bill as a strategy to rouse the economy from recession, a proposal to pay for the legislation with a small tax on oil futures trades attracted a healthy crop of Democratic cosponsors and some vocal pushback from Wall Street.
April 5, 2010
New Survey: 84% of Transit Agencies Facing Fare Hikes, Service Cuts
Budget shortfalls exacerbated by the lingering recession have forced 84 percent of local transit agencies to hike fares, cut service, or begin considering one or both of those options since the beginning of 2009, according to a report released today by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA).
April 1, 2010
Final Obama Fuel-Efficiency Rule Gives Breaks to Electric, Luxury Cars
The Obama administration today released its final rule raising U.S. auto fuel-efficiency standards to an average of 35.5 miles per gallon (mpg) by 2016, winning plaudits from environmental groups while offering extra benefits to makers of electric and luxury cars.
April 1, 2010