Compromise or Concession: It’s Not Just for Healthcare
Health care and transportation funding are very different items on Congress' to-do list, but the Washington Post's assessment
of the former issue fits the latter as well: Lawmakers return today
from a month-long recess to find a political landscape that has barely
shifted from the impasse of late July.
September 8, 2009
LaHood on Transport: ‘We Don’t Want to Pit One Mode … Against Another’
While Vice President Biden was giving a
candid take on cities' difficulties taking advantage of the economic
stimulus, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood was giving a recovery
speech of his own in Chicago -- where he sent a message of transport
reform to an audience that might not have expected it.
September 4, 2009
Feds Still Forcing Transit Agencies to Bow to Private Charter Buses
Streetsblog Capitol Hill reported yesterday
that the U.S. DOT would end a Bush-era mandate to reward new transit
projects for using private contractors -- but a similar
pro-privatization rule for bus service remains in effect, preventing
local transit agencies from competing with private charter companies.
September 3, 2009
‘Clunkers’ Consequences: GM Sales Down, Ford Gas-Guzzlers Up
When Congress tripled the size of the "cash for clunkers" program in July, both Congress and the White House
billed the $3 billion program as a boon for struggling domestic
automakers. But when those Detroit car companies released sales figures
today, the numbers didn't quite match up to the hype.
September 1, 2009
Senator Dukakis? What Kennedy’s Loss Could Mean for Transport Policy
As the nation mourns the loss of Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA), a discussion
has begun over how to fill his outsized shoes, both in Massachusetts'
Senate seat and atop the Senate health committee -- two vacancies that
could have notable consequences for transportation policy-making.
August 31, 2009
D.C. City Government Considers “Cash for Close-in Urban Living”
The nation's capital is proposing to use money from the Obama
administration's economic stimulus law for a pilot program that would
give grants of up to $3,000 for suburban commuters to move closer to
transit or their place of work.
August 21, 2009
As “Cash for Clunkers” Sputters, a Privately Funded Spinoff Picks Up
The U.S. DOT began signaling yesterday that it would bring the "cash for clunkers" program to an end amid growing unease from auto dealers about the government's slow pace of reimbursement and General Motors' decision to begin fronting "clunkers" repayments to its own salesmen.
August 20, 2009
Crunching June Stimulus Numbers: Roads Create Pricier Jobs Than Transit
Transportation spending under the economic stimulus law created
close to 15,000 jobs in June, or three times as many as were created in
May, according to estimates released today by the U.S. DOT.
August 19, 2009
Know Your Transportation Lobbyists: Transit Beats Roads — Sort Of
Transportation lobbying is a complicated universe, in which multi-issue
environmental groups can be as active as organizations that exist only
to influence infrastructure decision-making.
August 19, 2009
Transit Cuts Report Underscores Cities’ Congressional Influence Gap
In a report
released this morning, Transportation for America (T4A) expands on its
months-long effort to map transit cutbacks across the nation and
concludes that 10 of the largest 25 local agencies are being forced to
hike fares by more than 13 percent.
August 18, 2009