Transportation Policy
Streetsblog LA
Bike-Hating Rep. Patrick McHenry Fends Off Challenger
Congresswoman-elect Kathy Dahlkemper overcame ridicule for her "wacky" notion that Pennsylvanians should try walking and cycling. But down in western North Carolina, voters returned Rep. Patrick McHenry -- shown here mocking, and misrepresenting, the federal bike commuter tax benefit -- to Washington.
November 7, 2008
Letters to David Brooks: Yes to Infrastructure, No to Highways
On Friday, New York Times columnist David Brooks joined the chorus
calling for more transportation investment, which came as something of
a surprise given his conservative pedigree. But Brooks has always had a
soft spot for the exurbs, and his proposed "National Mobility Project"
was predictably premised on the idea that transportation projects
should accommodate sprawl:
November 4, 2008
Newt Gingrich: I Vant to Suck Your Oil
(Editor's note: I'll be downtown and on the Eastside for some Streetsfilms shooting. In the meantime enjoy this Halloween story courtesy of Streetsblog editor-in-chief, Aaron Naperstek.
November 3, 2008
Shaping the 2009 Transpo Debate: Rockefeller Foundation’s Nick Turner
American transportation policy has not fundamentally changed since gasoline cost a nickel a gallon and President Eisenhower started building out the Interstate highway system. Today, with gas prices through the roof, gridlock grinding our cities to a halt and many Americans feeling trapped in barely affordable, far-flung, exurban homes, it’s clear that our 1950’s-era transportation system is failing.
October 24, 2008
Transportation for America Launches Legislative Campaign
Today marks the start of Transportation for America‘s “Build for America” campaign, which will work to influence the transportation funding legislation that goes before the next Congress in 2009. (You’ll be hearing a lot more about it here in the coming months; we have received a grant from the T4America campaign to kick-start the development … Continued
October 15, 2008
James Oberstar on the Future of U.S. Transportation Funding
Minnesota Representative James Oberstar is perhaps the strongest advocate for transit on Capitol Hill. In a recent Q&A with the Kansas City Star, he shared his thoughts on how the financial crisis will affect federal investments in transportation:
October 14, 2008
Amtrak Bill Clears the Way for Bike-Friendly Trains
The five-year Amtrak authorization that Congress passed last week includes a nice inter-modal touch. It states in no uncertain terms that funding can be spent on making trains accessible for bikes: NONMOTORIZED TRANSPORTATION ACCESS AND STORAGE. — Grants under this chapter may be used to provide access to rolling stock for nonmotorized transportation, including bicycles, … Continued
October 7, 2008