Transportation for America Commends Obama’ Federal Highway Administrator Appointment
April 10, 2009By Transportation for America
| Download this release (.PDF) (.DOC) |
| Contact: Ben Grossman-Cohen 202-478-6185 bgrossmancohen@mrss.com |
Washington, D.C. — James Corless, Director of the Transportation for America campaign, today issued a statement in support of President Barack Obama’s anticipated nomination of Victor Mendez for Federal Highway Administrator:
“Victor Mendez is a good choice to serve in this critical role atthe FHWA as our country is faced with some of the biggest challenges and opportunities for our transportation system since the 1950’s. Mr. Mendez is an experienced transportation hand and will be a valuable partner in the effort to build a 21st Century transportation system that works for the people who use it.
Transportation for America — a coalition of housing, environmental, equal opportunity, public health, urban planning and transportation organizations committed to moving America into the 21st Century by building a modernized infrastructure — stands ready to support President Obama, Secretary LaHood and Victor Mendez in any effort to help navigate this unprecedented opportunity.”
The Inauguration: A shining moment for public transportation
January 28, 2009By Stephen Lee Davis
If you were watching television last Tuesday, you saw at least two historic things happen, but there’s a chance that the lesser of them escaped your notice.
What you might have missed was the fact that Washington, D.C. also managed to quadruple the number of people who travel into the city on a typical day — from 400,000 to 1.8 million — without breaking out into total chaos. And that number was quadrupled at on the same day that they closed all Potomac River bridges and banned private vehicles from a large area around the Mall and parade route.
The star performer of the day? What the Washington Post’s Dr. Gridlock calls “the Washington region’s biggest transportation asset: The Metrorail system.”
By many accounts, it was the largest public gathering in city’s history. And for certain, it was the highest rail ridership day that Metro has ever had in its history. It wasn’t even close. The previous record, actually set just the day before at 866,681 trips, was completely obliterated with a total of 1,120,000 riders on Inauguration Day. There were problems with stations getting closed at times due to crowding, and definitely some packed platforms, but on the whole, Metro stood up to numbers far higher than anyone had ever seen before.
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| Even President Obama got there on public transportation |
The Post’s Dr. Gridlock wrote a four part post-mortem on “How It Worked,” and his general conclusion? Thousands biked, even more walked, roads and bridges were closed to cars, and embraced the superior carrying capacity of Metro.
Local blog Greater Greater Washington points to last Tuesday’s success as a blueprint for the future of a growing Washington, DC region:
If our region is to grow, we need to help more people reach their jobs. One approach is to add traffic lanes and parking garages at enormous cost, both financial and in lost urban vitality. The other solution is to move people as we did on Tuesday. More people rode the trains. Each vehicle coming into the downtown core carried far more people. Over 2,000 people used WABA’s bike valet. And many more people started their days within walking distance of downtown. Those houseguests raised our population density enormously, enriching our neighborhood businesses besides.
To follow that up, read what Ryan Avent points out about Metro’s ridership these days, especially in light of the city’s population continuing to grow.
And now, of the top 20 ridership days, one was in 2004 (Reagan’s funeral), one in 2007, 16 were last year, and two have already happened this year. And the metropolitan population continues to grow. One might think that WMATA and the District would work to enhance core service, by planning a new core line and by adding streetcar capacity to help with the intracity load.
So what’s the status of expanding and building upon “the region’s greatest transportation asset?” If you’ve seen the transit cuts map, you might already know the answer: Cutting nearly 900 jobs and cutting $73 million in service. That operating assistance sure would have been useful to keeping the economic backbone of the region functioning.
Photos by Steve Davis
President-elect Obama responds to Transportation For America
November 19, 2008By Stephen Lee Davis
Before the last presidential debate Oct. 15, Transportation For America asked our supporters to sign a petition urging Sen. McCain and then Sen. Obama to tell us their plans for keeping America moving and creating new jobs by investing in our critical transportation system and infrastructure.
If you signed that petition, you sent the candidates this message:
America’s transportation system is half a century behind and the increasing costs of moving around – paid for in dollars at the pump and hours lost sitting on congested, crumbling roads – are taking a real toll on American families.
We need our next president to lead an initiative to invest in public transit, high-speed trains, places to bike and walk, and green innovation. We need a president with a plan that can put millions to work in jobs that can’t be outsourced, bring down the costs of travel, and create a sustainable infrastructure that will keep America on the cutting edge.
I hope you will take the opportunity presented by your final debate to discuss your plans to build a 21st Century transportation system.
More than 3,300 of you signed your names to that petition we delivered to the candidates just before that last crucial debate.
President-elect Barack Obama heard you and responded to the campaign with a two-page thank-you letter outlining his thoughts on transportation and infrastructure that we would like to share with you. Hit the jump to read the full letter:
(Continue Reading)
Biden on the train
September 17, 2008By Andrew Bielak
Taking a group of reporters along for his Amtrak ride home from Washington D.C. to Wilmington, Delaware, vice-presidential candidate Joe Biden promises “the most train-friendly administration ever” if the Democratic ticket is elected. (Politico — Ben Smith)
DNC: Barack star
August 29, 2008By Andrew Bielak
Standing before a crowd of 84,000 at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Barack Obama made some key points on energy reform, arguing that the U.S. could end its dependence from oil from the Middle East in 10 years and pledging to spend $150 billion in that same time period on renewable energy. (Grist)
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- Atlanta-area transit system 14 days from shutting down, 2 million rides disappearing
March 17, 2010 - U.S. Transportation Department makes good on promise to ensure our streets are made safer
March 16, 2010 - Obama’s livability programs help rural America too
March 16, 2010 - Transit grants out the federal door, but what about the cuts?
March 8, 2010 - Transit riders in Atlanta face massive cuts, “wholesale restructuring” of service
March 5, 2010
- Atlanta-area transit system 14 days from shutting down, 2 million rides disappearing
The United States of Transit Cutbacks
Driving is down and transit ridership is at record highs. Yet transit agencies across the country are considering layoffs, service cuts and fare hikes. Find out more and learn what you can do to help at t4america.org/transitcuts
Transportation: In your eyes
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