All posts from the month of August 2011
700 days since expiration of last transportation bill, Congress urged to pass an extension
August 31, 2011By Stephen Lee Davis
President Obama gave a short speech in the Rose Garden this morning calling on Congress to come together quickly to pass a “clean” extension of the federal transportation bill to ensure that there’s no interruption in federal funding for transportation projects while they debate a longer-term reauthorization.
At the end of September, if Congress doesn’t act, the transportation bill will expire. This bill provides funding for highway construction, bridge repair, mass transit systems and other essential projects that keep our people and our commerce moving quickly and safely. And for construction workers and their families across the country, it represents the difference between making ends meet or not making ends meet.
If we allow the transportation bill to expire, over 4,000 workers will be immediately furloughed without pay. If it’s delayed for just 10 days, it will lose nearly $1 billion in highway funding — that’s money we can never get back. And if it’s delayed even longer, almost one million workers could lose their jobs over the course of the next year.
As a refresher, we’re currently on the 7th extension of the 2005 transportation bill (which incidentally expired exactly 700 days ago today in September of 2009.) The current extension of federal law expires at the end of September, leaving only a narrow window of time for the House and Senate — currently far apart on policy and funding levels — to come together on a new long-term transportation bill.
A “clean” extension would mean extending the old policy without making policy changes or tweaks — changes that don’t have time to be properly considered or debated. T4 America Director James Corless said in our statement earlier today:
Extending the gas tax and the current law that allocates transportation funds ought to be the bipartisan no-brainer it has been historically. To play politics with the extension would deliver a gratuitous shock to a struggling economy and to families relying on infrastructure-related paychecks.
Extending the old policy is urgently needed, but it’s still a band-aid. The bigger need will still remain: passing a robust, long-term transportation bill with updated policy and purpose that matches the needs of the 21st century in America. Corless continued:
Beyond that, the President is right to urge Congress to break the gridlock and adopt a fully funded, long-term authorization that will protect and create jobs while supporting a full-fledged economic recovery. To be most effective, the updated transportation bill needs to ensure timely project approvals, as the President noted; but more importantly, it needs to set clear priorities to avoid misspending our precious dollars. Those priorities should include holding states and localities accountable for smart investment strategies and for repairing and updating existing infrastructure, while expanding the network to provide more convenient, safe and affordable travel options for all Americans.
Rep. John Mica, the chair of the House committee responsible for writing the bill, released his own statement expressing his support for passing an extension, in which he said, “I will agree to one additional highway program extension,” seemingly acknowledging the reality that it will extremely difficult to pass a full six year bill in the short month of September.
The bigger questions still lingering from all of this news today are whether or not the extension will be “clean” — without policy riders of any kind — and what impact this will have on the long-term transportation bill being considered by each chamber. The House draft bill has already been released, and rumor has it that the Senate is planning to release theirs in just a few weeks. But the two versions are far apart on funding and length for certain, and possibly with regard to policy.
Stay tuned, September will be a busy month. The legislative calendar will get rolling when Congress gets back in session on the day after Labor Day.
Transportation for America response to President’s call for “clean” extension of SAFETEA-LU
August 31, 2011By Stephen Lee Davis
WASHINGTON, DC — Today, President Obama stood with representatives of labor and business to call for a “clean” extension of the existing transportation funding measures, and a long-term transportation authorization. James Corless, director of Transportation for America, issued this statement in response:
“Extending the gas tax and the current law that allocates transportation funds ought to be the bipartisan no-brainer it has been historically. To play politics with the extension would deliver a gratuitous shock to a struggling economy and to families relying on infrastructure-related paychecks.
Beyond that, the President is right to urge Congress to break the gridlock and adopt a fully funded, long-term authorization that will protect and create jobs while supporting a full-fledged economic recovery. To be most effective, the updated transportation bill needs to ensure timely project approvals, as the President noted; but more importantly, it needs to set clear priorities to avoid misspending our precious dollars. Those priorities should include holding states and localities accountable for smart investment strategies and for repairing and updating existing infrastructure, while expanding the network to provide more convenient, safe and affordable travel options for all Americans.”
Today’s Headlines – 8/26/11
August 26, 2011By Transportation for America
Upgrading infrastructure is more immediate problem than deficit reduction, Iowa Senator Tom Harkin told his home state newspaper. (Des Moines Register)
Longer-term discussions on transportation finance are likely to involve a vehicle-miles-traveled tax. (Fast Company)
California Governor Jerry Brown appointed his top jobs adviser to the state’s high-speed rail board. (San Jose Mercury News)
Maryland residents now an additional 60-days to weigh in on the statewide smart growth plan. (AP)
Readers responded to the New York Times’ coverage of pedestrian safety in Florida. (NY Times)
And, the 12 members of the new deficit super committee were profiled. (Reuters)
Today’s Headlines – 8/25/11
August 25, 2011By Transportation for America
The president of AASHTO, the trade group representing state transportation officials, said half a million jobs are at risk if Congress fails to extend infrastructure funding next month. (Truckinginfo)
The 2009 Recovery Act is still having a positive — albeit, small — economic impact, according to the Congressional Budget Office. (USA Today)
House Republicans are worried that constituent anger over the economy puts their majority at risk. (The Hill)
The Chicago-based Active Transportation Alliance launched its Riders for Better Transit campaign. (Tribune)
West Virginia bridges were not damaged by Tuesday’s earthquake, state transportation officials said. (Beckley Register-Herald)
And, support for a 10-cent gas tax increase was surprisingly high at an Iowa forum. (Des Moines Register)
Photos of dangerous streets have been streaming in
August 24, 2011By Stephen Lee Davis
After putting out the call far and wide for pictures of streets designed for speeding traffic at the expense of safe travel by people on foot or bike, we’ve been getting some great — and by great, we mean frightening and terrible — photos of inconvenient, poorly-planned, dangerous and downright hostile conditions for pedestrians.
Here is a sampling of some of what we’ve received so far.
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| Bladensburg-22 Originally uploaded by wtrecat to Flickr. |
| MD 450 just west of junction with MD 202. Very busy road with no pedestrian crossing at this spot across from El Primo international market, 5403 Annapolis Rd. |
Note that this photo from Maryland just outside D.C. is taken at a Metro bus stop. And there appears to be no safe crossing immediately nearby.
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| Incomplete Street Originally uploaded by Boenau to Flickr. |
| No sidewalks? No problem! |
There’s no sidewalk at all along this road. And the overgrowth forces anyone trying to walk out into the roadway. If there is a crosswalk at the light up ahead, pedestrians have to cross at least 8 lanes of traffic and a median to make it across.
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| Incomplete Street Originally uploaded by Boenau to Flickr. |
| As if walking on the goat path isn’t bad enough, rainfall drains and collects on the grass, forcing pedestrians into the street. |
Just because there aren’t any sidewalks doesn’t mean that people won’t or aren’t walking. It has to be terrifying to walk on this narrow strip of grass next to 3 straight lanes of high speed traffic. And once again, if there is a crosswalk 200-400 yards down behind this pedestrian, people on foot will have to cross at least 6 lanes of traffic and a median in one light cycle.
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| elkton_rd3 Originally uploaded by Transportation for America to Flickr. |
| Submitted photo by Frank Warnock of Bike Delaware. www.bikede.org/ (Please credit photographer, not T4 America.) |
Smooth, graduated turning radii like this are especially dangerous to pedestrians. Turns are engineered like this so traffic can make a right turn while only having to barely slow their speed, making it extremely hazardous for people on foot to cross from the island back to the side of the road.
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| IMG_6603 Originally uploaded by Transportation for America to Flickr. |
| Bee Caves Rd/RM 2244 west of Walsh Tarlton Lane in Austin, Texas. Roadway under TxDOT jurisdiction. Submitted photo by Joan Hudson, P.E., of the Texas Transportation Institute. (Please credit photographer, not T4 America.) |
The photos we got from this supporter in Texas were all taken on roads managed by the Texas DOT. Pedestrians here have to walk in a ditch with nowhere to escape to if a car veers slightly out of the lane.
Photos like these could be taken in almost any place in the country. These conditions are far too common and much too accepted by the people who plan and design our streets and roads. Two-thirds of all pedestrian fatalities in the last 10 years occurred on roads much like these — high-speed arterials designed first and foremost for moving speeding traffic as fast as possible with little consideration for the needs or safety of people on foot or bike. Federal dollars and design guidelines have helped create these dangerous situations across the country, and the federal government shouldn’t be able to walk away and pin the problem on the states.
Simple policy changes and priorities for spending at the federal level can help save lives immediately.
We’re not finished collecting these photos — we want to see yours! When you send them in (click here for instructions), feel free to include location information as well and we’ll plot and share the location. And bonus points for photos that show people in them.
Thank you so much to the dozens of people who sent us photos or submitted them to our Flickr group. Keep it up!
Today’s Headlines – 8/24/11
August 24, 2011By Transportation for America
Congress’ small window for renewing the federal transportation program continues to make state officials nervous. (WP)
Despite what looks to be a brief Libya-related spike, gas prices are expected to continue falling. (Time)
The Federal Highway Administration signed off on Seattle’s plans for a new tunnel to replace the Route 99 viaduct. (AP)
Connecticut train riders decried a proposed a 16.4 percent fare hike. (Hartford Courant)
Long-time finance official Jonathan Davis was named interim chief for the MBTA. (Boston Globe)
And, West Virginia engineers plan to inspect state bridges following yesterday’s 5.9 magnitude earthquake. (Metro News)
Today’s Headlines – 8/23/11
August 23, 2011By Transportation for America
Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor, which would be privatized under a House Republican proposal, received $745 million from USDOT. (The Hill)
Several newspapers came editorialized in favor of renewing the federal gas tax next month. (Denver Post, Houston Chronicle, Winston-Salem Journal)
The debt-ceiling agreement provided scant guidance to Congressional appropriators, who must push a temporary extension until 2012 spending can be approved. (The Hill)
A resolution establishing a complete streets policy earned unanimous approval from the Billings City Council. (Billings Gazette)
And, the executive secretary for Oregon’s Building and Construction Trades Council made the case against transportation cuts. (Oregonian)
Today’s Headlines – 8/22/11
August 22, 2011By Transportation for America
A combination of economic urgency and legislative deadlines has renewed interest in the transportation bill, but the House and Senate are likely to remain far apart. (WSJ, Innovation NewsBriefs)
Americans have become better drivers during the economic downturn. (Ezra Klein)
Domestic investments like high-speed rail are held to an unfair standard compared to spending abroad, Matthew Yglesias argued. (Think Progress)
Congress should make it easier for cash-strapped transportation departments to make revenue from rest stops, the Boston Globe editorialized. (Globe)
House transportation committee chairman John Mica toured flood-striken eastern South Dakota and got an earful from residents about federal responsiveness. (AP)
And, large crowds lined up for an inaugural ride on light-rail in Hampton Roads. (Virginian-Pilot)
Today’s Headlines – 8/19/11
August 19, 2011By Transportation for America
More than 700,000 households in the U.S. lack access to both an automobile and public transit, a Brookings Institution study found (Reuters)
Despite discouraging reports, there is still time to fight to preserve dedicated funding for the Safe Routes to School program. (Streetsblog Capitol Hill)
High-speed rail in California could share a track with Caltrain in a so-called “blended” system. (San Mateo County Times)
Commissioners in the traditionally sprawl-friendly Oakland County, Michigan gave a thumbs up to complete streets. (Royal Oak Daily Tribune)
The Port Authority for New York and New Jersey approved higher bridge and tunnel tolls, as well as PATH rail rates. (NYT)
And, Salt Lake City remains an example to other areas in quality public transportation options. (Salt Lake Tribune)
Today’s Headlines – 8/18/11
August 18, 2011By Transportation for America
USDOT announced the allocation of $417.3 million in Federal Highway Administration grants. (Journal of Commerce)
Recipients of the funds included Chicago; Quincy, Massachusetts; Montana’s Fort Belknap Indian Reservation; and the California Central Valley. (Crain’s Chicago Business, Boston Globe, Great Falls Tribune, Central Valley Business Times)
California Governor Jerry Brown called for high-speed rail in his state to move forward, saying “I’m doing the best I can to keep this train running.” (SacBee)
A judge dismissed calls from some Brooklyn residents to halt bike lane construction. (NYT)
And, the Portland City Council approved millions for biking and walking initiatives. (Bike Portland)
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- The more they see, the less they like: 10 reasons why opposition to the House transportation bill is growing
February 21, 2012 - Crucial amendment could improve Senate bill, restore local control and help make streets safer
February 14, 2012 - Oppose House bill that slashes public transit funding, falls short on repair and axes bike & pedestrian safety
February 7, 2012 - T4 coalition announces opposition to House energy and transportation bill
February 6, 2012 - House committee ignores broad opposition, decimates transit funding anyway
February 3, 2012
- The more they see, the less they like: 10 reasons why opposition to the House transportation bill is growing
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