National highway money crisis looms
The looming crisis for federal transportation funding makes state officials in Pennsylvania leery about the future of their own transportation projects. (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review — Jim Ritchie)
July 31, 2008Can you spare a dime a gallon?
The U.S. government is facing a critical shortfall in its transportation budget, and the Denver Post editorial board is standing behind a 10-cent increase in the federal gas tax as a way to plug the holes in the dam.
July 31, 2008Highways Paved With Gold
Slate’s Daniel Gross notes that while anti-transit advocates habitually decry government funding of public transportation, they gloss over the billions in subsidies provided for highways.
July 31, 2008Consumers work hard this summer to cut gas intake
Americans have aggressively responded to sharp increases in fuel prices, cutting consumption by 2.4% from a year ago, and experts expect demand to continue to remain lower this year. (MarketWatch — Myra Saefong)
July 31, 2008Leaping into Light Rail
Some cities across the southwest are increasingly looking at light rail as a way to spur transit-oriented development and respond to demands for more urban-style living. (Governing — Zach Patton)
July 30, 2008Heavy? Your neighborhood may be to blame
America’s obesity problem has a direct connection to the neighborhoods we occupy — and those of us fortunate enough to live in compact, walkable neighborhoods are reaping the health benefits. (MSNBC — Steve Mitchell)
July 30, 2008Lightweight Urban Transit Bus Has Double The Fuel Efficiency Of Conventional Hybrid Buses
A Michigan company’s plan to develop a new lightweight bus that has twice the fuel efficiency of normal hybrid buses could change the way we get around our cities. (Detroit Free Press — Brent Snavely)
July 30, 2008Seeking to rebuild trust in MnDOT
Star Tribune editorial board backs a proposal by state lawmakers to improve communications in state’s DOT, allow for increased salaries, and tighten safety requirements (Minneapolis Star Tribune)
July 30, 2008DOT chief: Transportation funding needs fixing
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters talks about our “broken” federal transportation program, arguing that we need fewer earmarks, streamlined funding for projects, and a new source of revenue other than the gas tax. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution — Ariel Hart)
July 30, 2008Running on empty
The Baltimore Sun editorial board argues that the federal government should have raised the gas tax a year ago, and adds that we now need a “new and reliable source of revenue” to deal with a looming crisis for transportation funding