The White House Transportation Budget: What’s In Line for the Axe?
In a fiscal year 2011 budget that proposes to increase spending on several core transportation
priorities, the White House also aims to eliminate a few
infrastructure programs that may prove popular with lawmakers.
February 1, 2010
White House Budget Includes $530M for Local Sustainability, $1B for HSR
The White House officially unveiled its $3.8 trillion budget
for the fiscal year 2011 this morning, seeking $1 billion to continue
its high-speed rail investment and $530 million for the transportation
leg of the Obama administration's inter-agency push to promote sustainable planning on the local level.
February 1, 2010
Pols, Media, Celebrate High Speed Rail Grant for California
In California, the state’s bid for a federal high-speed rail network with top speeds exceeding 200 miles per hour is often called the “only true” bullet train proposal on the table — and the Obama administration agreed today, bestowing $2.34 billion on the Golden State to the delight of lawmakers and rail advocates. Graphic: CHSRC … Continued
January 29, 2010
The Urbanist Case Against Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac
The Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU), an advocacy group working to
reform local development practices, is seizing on House Financial
Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank's (D-MA) recent call for a new system of housing finance to replace government-controlled Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
January 29, 2010
A Bike-Ped State of the Union: 9.6% of Trips, 1.2% of Federal Funding
(editor's note - Local coverage tomorrow. - DN)
January 28, 2010
Feds Give $2.5 Billion for CA High Speed Rail. FL, WI and the Northwest Also Winners
(Editor's note: Get some local coverage at LAist and The Source.)
January 28, 2010
Senate Weighs $14B for Roads, $7.5B for Transit in Jobs Bill
Senate Democrats huddled behind closed doors this afternoon to assess their options for a new job-creation bill, with one option of around $80 billion making headlines even second-ranked leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) warned that no details are set in stone. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) (Photo: STLToday) But as Democrats debate the wisdom of … Continued
January 27, 2010
Democrats Learning to Love the I-Word — But Will Words Bring Action?
The White House is re-centering
its message around economic and fiscal concerns ahead of tomorrow's
State of the Union address, with a new package of job-creation measures
expected to vault to the top of the agenda and a three-year "spending freeze" pitched to deficit-wary conservative Democrats.
January 26, 2010
In the White House’s High-Speed Rail Chase, a First Likely Winner: Florida
The prediction that Rep. John Mica (R-FL) backtracked on last month is starting to come true: President Obama is headed for Florida on Thursday, and the state is all but certain that he's coming with $2.6 billion in federal stimulus funding for a new high-speed rail link between Tampa and Orlando.
January 25, 2010
In Texas, One Newspaper Laments the Highway Lanes Not Built
The Transportation Enhancements program, which requires states to
set aside 10 percent of their federal transport money for new bicycle
and pedestrian facilities, among other projects, turns 19 years old
this year. But you'd almost never know it after reading Saturday's Fort
Worth Star-Telegram, in which the paper tallies -- with no shortage of alarm -- the federal money not being spent on new roads.
January 25, 2010