What’s Wrong With America’s Ambivalence About Crumbling Infrastructure?
In today's New York Times, Bob Herbert celebrates the cause of
infrastructure maintenance -- a less exciting proposition for
politicians than cutting the ribbon at new transportation projects, but
in many ways more vital to economic growth.
February 16, 2010
White House: Transit Inflation Outstripping Private Transportation
The White House's annual economic report, in addition to its endorsement of inter-city rail and transit spending, also sheds more light on transit inflation,
which is often reported anecdotally in the many cities struggling with
fare hikes but rarely put in statistical terms by economists.
February 12, 2010
White House Economic Report Touts TIGER, High-Speed Rail, Transit
The White House Council of Economic Advisers' first annual report under President Obama made headlines
today for its gloomy job-creation outlook, but tucked inside its 462
pages is a tangible reflection of a changed outlook on transportation
policy under the new administration.
February 12, 2010
Bipartisan Senate Jobs Bill Has Highway Trust Fund Rescue But No TIGER
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) and his panel’s senior Republican, Chuck Grassley (IA), today offered a job-creation proposal designed to garner enough GOP votes to overcome an anticipated filibuster. Senate Finance Committee chief Max Baucus (D-MT), at left, with GOP ally Chuck Grassley (IA) at right. (Photo: Baucus Press) The measure’s transportation provisions … Continued
February 11, 2010
D.C., VA, MD to Apply for Federal Aid as Snow Eats Into Transport Budgets
Washington
D.C., Maryland, and Virginia are set to apply for federal disaster aid
to offset the costs of cleanup from this month's record-breaking
mid-Atlantic blizzards, according to the Washington
Post reports today. But the so-called Snowpocalypse could dent more
than just worker
productivity -- already crunched transportation budgets are also
on the line.
February 11, 2010
AASHTO Stimulus Report Omits Jobs Data Comparing Transit With Roads
The American Association of State Highway and Transportation
Officials (AASHTO), the trade group representing state DOTs in
Washington, yesterday unveiled a website
and report billed as a one-year "progress report" on the White House's
$34.3 billion in formula-based transportation stimulus spending.
February 10, 2010
The Gas Tax Versus a VMT Tax: Is ‘All of the Above’ an Option?
(Chart: Oregon DOT) The prospect of an eventual move away from the gas tax and towards a fee on vehicle miles traveled (VMT) has sparked consternation from some well-known bloggers this week, with Matt Yglesias asserting that “a VMT [tax] has no advantages whatsoever over higher gasoline taxes” and Andrew Samwick suggesting that declining fuel … Continued
February 10, 2010
First Lady Launches Childhood Obesity Push With Nod to Biking & Walking
First Lady Michelle Obama took to the mikes this afternoon to kick
off a national campaign to combat childhood obesity, emphasizing new
initiatives to promote biking and walking alongside a strong focus on
healthier food options in schools.
February 9, 2010
New Report Maps a High-Speed Rail Link For Every Major U.S. City
Now that the Obama administration has
awarded $8 billion in high-speed rail grants to more than two dozen
states, with $2.5 billion more coming soon, why not keep thinking big
when it comes to bullet-train expansion?
February 9, 2010
Report: White House Budget Office Helped Weaken EPA Pollution Rule
Pensacola, Florida. Springfield, Missouri. Fort Wayne, Indiana. All
three of those metropolitan areas have populations between 350,000 and
500,000, and all three would have been required to install nitrogen
dioxide monitoring stations near major roadways under a new
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule cracking down on the pollutant.
February 8, 2010