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Short Stimulus Package Timeline Will Compel Tough Regional Choices
The Metropolitan Transportation Commission's (MTC) main auditorium in Oakland was standing-room-only Wednesday for an Allocations Committee meeting where the MTC board debated proposals by staff on how to spend the expected stimulus money when President Obama signs the bill into law. MTC Executive Director Steve Heminger explained the need to get the discussion started even before Washington made anything final because the deadlines for spending the stimulus money are so tight and the MTC doesn't want to return unspent funds.
February 12, 2009
Streetfilms: A Conversation With Congressman Earl Blumenauer
Moments after he delivered the keynote address to the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO), Oregon's Rep. Earl Blumenauer, head of the Congressional Bike Caucus, met with us for this exclusive one-on-one chat.
February 10, 2009
Senate’s $50 Billion Highway Giveaway Nearly Dead
The Inhofe/Boxer stimulus bill amendment for $50 billion in additional infrastructure funds appears to be dead, with official word expected soon from Senator Harry Reid's office. Sources close to the negotiations say that at least five Democratic Senators were not going to support the amendment if transit and water provisions weren't improved, while Senate Republicans vowed to obstruct such improvements.
February 5, 2009
Boxer’s Stimulus Saga Rolls On
Environmental groups in DC are guardedly optimistic that yesterday's barrage of phone calls and emails to Senator Boxer and company urging them not to write a $50 billion blank check for the highway lobby has not been in vain.
February 4, 2009
It Gets Worse: Boxer/Inhofe to Request $50B More for Highways
Friends of the Earth tells Streetsblog San Francisco that Senator Barbara Boxer's staff has confirmed that Boxer and Senator Inhofe will present an amendment to the federal Stimulus Plan for $50 billion in additional funding for highways, bringing the total to $80 billion, exactly the figure Inhofe demanded last week in a letter to the Committee for Environment and Public Works.
February 3, 2009
Stimulus + Mass Transit = Opportunity
I
generally avoid cable news like the plague but I've been tuning in
lately hoping to find some interesting discussion of the federal
stimulus bill. Despite my low expectations of the medium I've been
amazed by the inanity, the lack of substance and the incredible amount of Republican demagoguery being allowed to make it onto the airwaves.
February 3, 2009
Schumer Proposes $6.5B More for Transit in Senate Stim Bill
Senator Chuck Schumer has unveiled an amendment to the Senate
stimulus bill that would increase transit funding by $6.5 billion -- to
$14.9 billion overall. This would direct $2.9 billion more to transit,
in total, than the House stimulus bill that passed last week. For the
wonks out there, transit funding would break down like so, if the
amendment is adopted: $10.4 billion for capital grants, $2 billion for
rail modifications, and $2.5 billion for new starts. From the press release issued by Schumer and Congressman Jerrold Nadler:
February 2, 2009
State Legislators Urge Pelosi To Put More Transit Money in Stimulus
A group of eighteen Assembly members, including Assemblymen Tom Ammiano of San Francisco and Alberto Torrico of Newark, have sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi urging more stimulus money for public transit, suggesting the change be made during the markup process before the bill is voted on by the Senate next week.
January 30, 2009
Streetscast: An Interview with New TA Chair Bevan Dufty
District 8 Supervisor Bevan Dufty was elected the chairman of the San Francisco County Transportation Authority (TA) this week, rounding up the necessary six votes to beat District 6 Supervisor Chris Daly. It's a position Dufty says he's excited about.
January 29, 2009
Nancy Pelosi’s Infrastructure Choices
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco claims she is committed to public transit and reducing motor vehicle congestion. In a speech to the Regional Plan Association (RPA) last April she said her flagship issues as speaker are energy independence and reducing global warming.
January 28, 2009