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Oberstar to White House: On Emissions, Back Up Your Words With Action
Appearing this morning at the release of a new report
on transportation's role in fighting climate change, House
transportation committee chairman Jim Oberstar (D-MN) challenged the
Obama administration to back up their emissions rhetoric with action
and pass his six-year, $450 billion infrastructure bill.
July 28, 2009
From the Dept. of Mixed Messages: LaHood Touts ‘Cash for Clunkers’
Two weeks ago, Ray LaHood candidly addressed
the need to reduce the nation's vehicle miles traveled in order to halt
the devastating effects of climate change. But the Transportation
Secretary had a decidedly different message today.
July 27, 2009
Ad Nauseam: What “Cash for Clunkers” Hath Wrought
The government's Cash for Clunkers program officially begins today,
but car dealers have been running ads like this one for a while
already. They have to keep the public informed: Now you can trade in
your old car and buy a brand-new SUV or pick-up truck with a hefty
assist from Uncle Sam.
July 24, 2009
Schwarzenegger Serious about Reducing Car Fleet. Whither Villaraigosa?
Anyone that has been reading LA Streetsblog for any period of time knows that we haven't been shy about criticizing Governor Schwarzenegger for talking a good game about the environment but never asking Californians, including himself, to make any changes in their lives when it comes to transportation.
July 20, 2009
Streetsblog Interview: Introducing Art Leahy
When entering Metro CEO Art Leahy's office, you can't help but notice that he's a sports fan and a native Angeleno. His wall is decorated with USC football paraphernalia and his bookshelf has a couple of Los Angeles Dodgers bobbleheads and other memorabilia from Dodgertown. When staff that happened to graduate from UCLA are in the room, they get ribbed. I also took some flack that my choice in favored baseball teams was also lightly mocked.
July 16, 2009
White House Staying Quiet For Now on Transit’s Role in Climate Bill
Delivering his climate-change message to Congress yesterday, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood warned that fuel-efficiency advances
secured by the Obama administration would not be enough to reduce
emissions from transportation -- not without encouraging Americans to
drive less.
July 15, 2009
Measure R Acceleration Plans Aren’t a Political Slam Dunk
The Internet is abuzz with the news that Mayor Villaraigosa and his allies on the Metro Board are pushing for the acceleration of three transit projects that are partially funded with the now incoming Measure R funds. LAist breaks down the new plans, outlined in a power point presentation for this Thursday's Measure R Committee Meeting at Metro Headquarters.
July 14, 2009
Obama’s Agenda for Cities: Enough Talk
In closing his speech
to a roundtable on urban and metropolitan issues, given yesterday at
the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, Barack Obama quoted Chicago
architect Daniel Burnham, who famously urged men to "make no small
plans."
July 14, 2009
Obama Talks Urban Policy as LaHood Seeks More Urban Transpo Money
The White House Office of Urban Affairs, which has drawn criticism for its inactivity at a rocky economic time for the nation's cities, capped a day-long summit today with a speech by President Obama.
July 13, 2009
Republicans Deem Transpo Stimulus — 6% of Total Spending — a ‘Failure’
Republicans on the House transportation panel held a press
conference today to deem the economic stimulus law a failure, citing
low infrastructure spending in the nation's highest-unemployment states.
July 10, 2009