The Long, Ugly Road to a Federal Transportation Plan
You've likely been hearing a lot, on this blog and others, about the coming expiration
of the federal transportation bill. Come September 30, Congress has to
have a plan in hand to fund the nation's trains, buses, bikes, bridges
and roads -- or pass an extension of the 2005 federal bill, locking in the same spending patterns that have nurtured Americans' addiction to the automobile.
May 19, 2009
Congress Reluctant to Shine Light on Transportation Earmarks
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is about to
unveil a massive bill that will re-authorize federal transportation
programs for the next six years. The bill will also include funding for
a large number of "earmarks," the congressional pet projects that can include everything from bike trails to Bridges to Nowhere.
May 18, 2009
Obama’s Energy Secretary Reclaims His Bicycle, For a Day
Energy Secretary Steven Chu was dismayed about having to give up his bike-commuting habit in order to join the Obama Cabinet, but security concerns didn't stop him from participating in Friday's Bike to Work Day in the nation's capital. As the Wall Street Journal reports:
May 18, 2009
Will: Government Shouldn’t Interfere — Except to Benefit Big Highways
Conservative columnist George Will's angry screed
against the Obama administration's transportation policy is worth
digging into this morning -- not just to bring one's blood to a healthy
boil, but also to provide a window on the lack of coherent opposition
to expanding transit options and diminishing auto dependence.
May 18, 2009
Congressional Climate Bill Includes ‘Complete Streets’ But Not CLEAN TEA
Henry Waxman (D-CA), chairman of the House Energy and Commerce
Committee, has just struck a deal on his long-awaited climate change
bill -- and though the agreement makes a number of concessions to polluters, it also takes a step forward towards popularizing the cause of "complete streets".
May 15, 2009
National Geographic Reveals the World’s Transit Superstars
National Geographic released the results of their annual Greendex consumer survey yesterday, ranking the environmental friendliness of housing, transportation and eating habits in nations around the world.
May 15, 2009
Who Cares About the Highway Trust Fund?
Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) is proposing today to make a small but
crucial change in federal transit policy by requiring the nation's
Highway Trust Fund to keep the interest money it accrues, rather than
give it up for the government's general use.
May 14, 2009
Senators Hear From Obama’s Transit Chief-in-Waiting
One of the Capitol's sad, secret truths is that members of Congress
often skip committee hearings on issues of vital importance to their
states -- and today's confirmation session with Peter Rogoff, the
president's nominee to lead the Federal Transit Administration (FTA),
was no exception.
May 13, 2009
Less Than One Percent of Transpo Stimulus Money Paid Out So Far
The New York Times reports this morning that the Obama administration's $787 billion economic stimulus package has hit a few snags:
May 13, 2009