Streetsblog Capitol Hill
EPA and HUD Make Big Investments in Sustainable Development
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are making significant progress on their joint effort, with the U.S. DOT, to connect cleaner transportation options with affordable housing and denser urban development.
February 8, 2010
A Vow to ‘Bring Republicans to the Table’ for a New Transport Bill
Despite Senate Democratic efforts to move quickly on a new jobs bill that includes infrastructure investment and takes steps towards solving the nation's transportation financing dilemma, Congress has just two more weeks of work until time runs out on the latest short-term extension of the five-year-old law governing federal transport policy.
February 8, 2010
TIGER Grant Winners to be Announced By February 17
The winners of $1.5 billion in merit-based transportation stimulus grants through the program known as TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) will be announced on or perhaps even before February 17, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood confirmed this week.
February 5, 2010
Two Troubling Transportation Numbers for the Obama Administration
Today brought news of two grim transportation numbers from the Obama administration: 2 and $53 million.
February 4, 2010
DeLauro Questions Obama Budget’s Infrastructure Fund Proposal
Despite brought support for the concept of a National Infrastructure Bank (NIB) to help pay for major improvements to America's built environment, including transportation, significant uncertainty still surrounds the questions of how the bank would work as well as what it would fund.
February 4, 2010
Senate Dems to Call Up Jobs Bill Monday … With Transport Details TBA
Senate Democratic leaders appeared this morning to tout their commitment to passing a job-creation bill by the end of next week -- but the substance of their jobs measure, including the fate of pivotal transportation provisions, remains up in the air.
February 4, 2010
A High-Speed Rail Reality Check for Texas
Despite data backing up the White House's assertion that politics played no role in high-speed rail decision-making, Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) -- waging a re-election bid against a GOP primary challenger as well as the Democratic mayor of Houston -- wasn't shy about complaining after his state received less than one-hundredth of the $1.8 billion in rail stimulus it had requested.
February 3, 2010
White House Pitches $400M for Healthier Neighborhood Food Outlets
The connection between walkable development and grocery shopping may not seem immediately apparent -- until you consider studies conducted in cities from Austin to Seattle that showed the share of trips taken by foot or by transit rises as local food outlets move closer to residential areas.
February 3, 2010
Miami, Sacramento, Boston Transit Projects Still Seeking Federal Approval
Amid the good vibes yesterday over new federal funding agreements for transit projects in New York City, Oakland, Hartford, and other metro areas, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) also offered a spell of bad news to a few local proposals that are still working to meet the agency's standards for aid.
February 3, 2010
A Modest Proposal: Ask Developers to Help Pay For Better Transport
At today's debate on conservative support for transit, developer Chris Leinberger had a modest proposal for lawmakers who are desperately seeking new transportation financing strategies in an era of diminishing gas tax returns: Ask real-estate developers to pay for projects that will increase their profits.
February 2, 2010