Sotomayor’s Eminent Domain Stance: What Does It Mean for Cities?
Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor is dominating the conversation
in Washington as analysts begin to dig into her past rulings. And
while she has yet to weigh in on abortion, the judge has spoken loud
and clear on an issue of interest to livable streets advocates: eminent
domain.
June 1, 2009
Polly Trottenberg Tapped For Senior U.S. DOT Spot
It's a happy Friday for transportation wonks: the White House has nominated Polly Trottenberg, executive director of Building America's Future, as assistant secretary for policy at the federal DOT.
May 29, 2009
Obama Keeps Roads Out of National Forests — For a Time
Paved roads are a fact of life in most of the country, but should they
be permitted in the nation's protected forest areas? The Obama
administration says no, as Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack affirmed
today in a directive that prohibits road construction in nearly 50 million acres of forest land.
May 29, 2009
Flashback: Obama Once Led Push for ‘Complete Streets’
With Congress out of town on its Memorial Day break, the nation's
capital is a quiet place to be -- but all of that will change next
week, as the appearance of the House transportation bill is expected to
kick off an intense battle to reshape federal policy on transit, bikes, roads and bridges.
May 28, 2009
Why Buy More Trains If You Can’t Afford to Run Them?
Down in balmy South Florida, D-Day is approaching for riders of the the
popular Tri-Rail transit system. A looming $18 million shortfall has
forced the Tri-Rail board to approve a budget that slices daily service and stops all trains by 2011 -- although ridership has doubled since 2005.
May 27, 2009
Portland Congressman to George Will: Let’s Debate
Just when you thought George Will's pouty, ill-informed tirade against new Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood was going to stand unchallenged, here comes Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR).
May 20, 2009
Watson One of Four Lawmakers Who Show Up To Pitch Local Projects
Members of the House had an open invitation today from the panel in charge
of annual funding for transportation and housing: Any lawmaker could
come and personally make the case for why their local bridge, road, or
transit project should get a share of the federal money.
May 20, 2009
Illinois Congressman Pushes For Pro-Bike Transportation Bill
Rep. Daniel Lipinski (D-IL), an early supporter
of the congressional "complete streets" bill, is circulating a letter
to his House colleagues that urges support for pro-bike provisions in
the upcoming federal transportation bill. Here's how Lipinski put it:
May 19, 2009
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 19, 2009