Streetsblog Capitol Hill
In the Works: Senate Bill to Promote Sustainable Development
In Washington politics, the term "kumbaya moment" is used to describe those rare occasions when self-interested stakeholders join hands to support a set of reforms. And today's appearance before the Senate Banking Committee by the chiefs of three Cabinet departments -- Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and the Environmental Protection Agency -- definitely qualified for kumbaya status.
June 16, 2009
Report: Nation’s Cities Not Getting Their Share of Stimulus Transpo Money
The nation's largest metropolitan areas -- which account for 63 percent of the U.S. population and 73 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) -- have received less than half of the surface transportation money allocated so far underthe Obama administration's economic stimulus plan, according to a new report compiled for the U.S. Conference of Mayors.
June 15, 2009
Flashback: Is Obama Flipping on Highway Corruption Laws?
As Washington waits for the next federal transportation bill to emerge, Streetsblog Capitol Hill is taking a featured look at debates from the last congressional go-round that could impact the upcoming re-write. For today's installment, let's take a trip to New Jersey, circa late 2004.
June 15, 2009
Michigan’s Looking Good in the High-Speed Rail Chase
During an appearance in Michigan today to promote the Obama administration's economic recovery efforts, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood made a potentially prescient prediction about the regions vying for federal help to build inter-city high-speed rail.
June 12, 2009
Congress Agrees to Keep Transit Operating Aid in War Bill
House and Senate negotiators struck a deal last night on a $106 billion war spending bill that also gives cash-strapped transit agencies the ability to use 10 percent of their economic stimulus grants to pay operating costs.
June 12, 2009
Today’s Headlines
Transportation Secretary LaHood and Vice President Biden promote the economic stimulus’ infrastructure spending — on bridge repairs and massive highway expansions (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, The Pitch) Congress slips $1 billion for a weak “cash for clunkers” plan into its $105 billion war spending bill (Detroit News) With the timeline for a federal transpo bill slipping, advocates … Continued
June 12, 2009
Tweeting Live from the Congress for the New Urbanism in Denver
OK. I've finally succumbed to Twitter and I'm using it to keep track of interesting quotes, observations and tidbits at the 17th annual Congress for the New Urbanism conference in Denver. There's a lot of great stuff happening here and plenty of interesting people. I'm not sure how much of that I can convey in 140 character text bursts. But I'm a professional haikuist so let's see what I can do.
June 11, 2009
We’re Not Just Driving Less — We’re Also Flying Less
The U.S. Department of Transportation's statistical arm today released its latest tally of airline travel, showing that the number of nationwide plane passengers has decreased from the previous year for a record 13 straight months.
June 11, 2009
GOPers Blast the Newest Dem Star: How Dare He Pay For Transportation!
Democrat Creigh Deeds is the man of the hour for many in the D.C. political establishment, having managed to upset a well-funded ally of the Clintons in the closely watched Virginia gubernatorial race.
June 11, 2009