Transportation Policy
Adding a Dose of Honesty to the Congressional Job-Creation Debate
The House's $75 billion jobs bill was intended as a holiday gift to out-of-work voters, but transportation reformers were less than thrilled with lawmakers' decision to mimic the first stimulus law's use of outmoded funding formulas to send three times as much money to roads as to transit.
December 28, 2009
Four Finalists For White House High-Speed Rail Funding?
That was the eyebrow-raising suggestion reported by the Orlando Sentinel today after Rep. John Mica (R-FL) helped mark the beginning of central Florida's commuter-rail era, made possible by landmark legislation signed into state law this week.
December 18, 2009
Battle Heats Up Over Pennsylvania Tolling, With National Implications
For more than two years, Pennsylvania transportation planners have sought federal permission to make I-80 one of only three interstates in America approved for tolling.
December 18, 2009
Two Dems Propose to End Bush-Era Rule on Transit ‘Cost-Effectiveness’
New Starts, the main federal method for funding big-ticket transit projects, is considered sorely in need of a makeover by many in the capital.
December 17, 2009
House Jobs Bill Answers Some Key Transportation Questions
The House jobs bill, expected to pass later today before the chamber adjourns for the holidays, includes a $75 billion infrastructure section that gives $27.5 billion to roads and $8.4 billion to transit, largely mirroring this year's first economic stimulus law.
December 16, 2009
House Jobs Bill Could Make General Electric’s Amtrak Wish Come True
The House is poised to take up a jobs bill later today that provides $37.3 billion in new transportation spending, including $27.5 billion for roads, $8.4 billion for transit ... and a holiday gift for General Electric?
December 16, 2009
Geithner Adviser Backs ‘More Merit-Based’ Infrastructure Spending
Treasury Department counselor Gene Sperling told senators today that "we definitely support looking at ... more merit-based" approaches to transportation spending, particularly an expansion of the stimulus law's competitive TIGER grants and a national infrastructure bank.
December 16, 2009
VIDEO: LaHood Visits ‘The Daily Show’ to Talk Transportation
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood visited Jon Stewart on The Daily Show last night to talk about his department's role in the stimulus debate, infrastructure modernization, and development of a U.S. high-speed rail system. Check out the video above (and let us know what you thought in the comments).
December 16, 2009
House Jobs Bill Mimics the Stimulus: $27.5B for Roads, $8.4B for Transit
The House is slated to vote as soon as tomorrow on a job-creation package that includes $27.5 billion for highways and $8.4 billion for transit, according to a transportation committee document obtained by Streetsblog Capitol Hill.
December 15, 2009
New Report: Minority-Owned Businesses Left Out of Transport Stimulus
Women and minorities are getting shortchanged in the chase for transportation stimulus contracts, according to a report released today by the Transportation Equity Network (TEN) and Good Jobs First.
December 15, 2009