Transportation for America will be on Capitol Hill today testifying before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on “The Future of National Surface Transportation Policy.” You can stream it live on the Committee’s website. Campaign director James Corless, along with Anne Canby of the Surface Transportation Policy Partnership and a founding member of T4 America, will be testifying this afternoon at 2:30 p.m. EDT.

Download this release (.PDF) (.DOC) Contact: Cosabeth Bullock 202-478-6128 202-904-7466 cbullock@mrss.com Washington, D.C. — A bill introduced today by Rep. Doris Matsui (D-CA) will significantly advance states’ efforts to reduce transportation-caused greenhouse gas emissions, while providing a broader range of low-cost travel and living options to their residents. Rep. Matsui’s groundbreaking bill, referred to the [...]

Today in Washington, D.C., Transportation for America held an event on Capitol Hill to formally announce our new coalition of more than 225 organizations and 17,000 individual members and to release the platform drafted with input from dozens of practitioners and stakeholders.

This is Transportation For America’s full summary of the provisions and funding requirements for transportation in The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Given the need for haste in crafting the bill, congressional and Administration negotiators were handcuffed by backward-looking, existing programs even as they tried to shape investments for a future of reduced oil dependency, greater opportunity for Americans to join the middle class and cleaner transportation choices. Despite some shortcomings resulting from current transportation law, Congress has adopted a bill that if properly enacted by state and local authorities, could be a down payment on a new direction for America’s infrastructure.

UPDATE (2:00 p.m., 02/12/09): Talking Points Memo has acquired a summary of the new bill, which includes a comparison of each spending item to the House and Senate legislation. It looks like the final number for highways is $27.5 billion. The bill to come out of conference also includes $1.3 billion for Amtrak. — We [...]

With the stimulus successfully passed through the Senate, it moves into conference with the House, where the two chambers will try to hammer out the version to be voted on again by each house before heading to the President’s desk if it passes. Here is our side-by-side comparison on the transportation spending in the two versions.

Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and others are pushing for second stimulus package that would jumpstart our economy with a targeted investment in infrastructure. (Dallas Morning News — Michael Lindenberg)

Presidential candidate John McCain voted against a bill last week to improve rail safety and increase funding for Amtrak, but Republican legislators from Virginia are working hard to earn his support for a plan to extend DC’s Metrorail to Dulles International Airport. (Washington Post — Michael Laris)

The New York Times editorial board wonders if Detroit’s big three automakers will put their $25 billion loan from the federal government to good use by investing in fuel-efficient vehicles.