Transportation Policy
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House Approves Transpo Spending Bill After Stripping Out $ for Livability
The
House of Representatives passed its 2011 appropriations bill for
Transportation and Housing and Urban Development yesterday,
significantly increasing the amount going to both highways and transit
while decreasing spending overall. A fight over $200 million in funds
for the Obama Administration's new livability initiatives, however,
showed that substantive changes in federal transportation policy will
remain difficult to achieve until Congress tackles the long-term
transportation reauthorization bill.
July 30, 2010
MTC Adopts Aggressive 15 Percent Target for Reducing Emissions by 2035
The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), in a historic vote Wednesday that will help guide the future for more sustainable land use and transportation planning in the Bay Area, recommended a 15 percent per capita target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by 2035, the most aggressive goal to date among California's metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs).
July 29, 2010
Now That It’s Brown v Whitman, Let’s Talk Transportation
It's official. It's Jerry Brown versus Meg Whitman for Governor of California.
While we can expect a vigorous campaign between now and the election
in November, neither candidate has staked out solid ground on
transportation issues. For Brown, there's a track record going back
decades, but for Whitman all we know about her positions is what was
learned in a Republican primary where each candidate lurched as far to
the right as possible.
June 9, 2010
AFL-CIO Flexing Its Muscle for Senate Transit Operating Aid Bill
The AFL-CIO, a formidable lobbying force in Washington, is throwing
its weight behind a Senate bill offered
last week that would authorize $2 billion in emergency funding for
transit agencies forced to hike fares or cut service in lean budgetary
times.
June 1, 2010
Cyclists Laud LaHood’s Bike-Ped Advocacy
Several dozen cyclists rode to U.S. DOT headquarters today to present
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood with a letter signed by hundreds of
local bike-ped groups, hailing the former GOP congressman's support for
their cause during his first 16 months on the job.
May 28, 2010
New Report Examines the Media’s Role in the Gas Tax Debate
The
success of state-level plans to increase gas taxes is tied to the
media's portrayal of the proposals in question, with narratives tied to
"crumbling infrastructure" and "economic progress" showing more success
than those emphasizing long-term transportation budget gaps, according
to a new report released by the University of Vermont's Transportation
Research Center (TRC).
May 26, 2010
Tracing the Fault Lines Between Public and Private Transit Operators
Should private transit companies enjoy the same federal gas tax
exemption that many public operators receive? How does the existence of
private inter-city bus service affect the government's development of
new high-speed rail lines? And does it matter that private transit firms
are eligible for public subsidies, even if at a much smaller rate than
public rail and bus agencies?
May 25, 2010
Ford Foundation to Send $200M to Local Transit-Oriented Development
The Ford Foundation, created seven decades ago by a U.S. car industry
scion, notably diverged from its past today by announcing a new, $200
million grant program aimed at promoting the local integration of
transportation and land use planning and a movement beyond auto-based
development.
May 18, 2010