Transportation for America Director James Corless today issued the following statement in response to the House passage of a 90-day extension of the current federal transportation program and motor fuels tax: “While we are disappointed that Congress was unable to pass a transportation bill before the end of the current extension, the action taken today [...]

As of this morning, more than 100 House members had signed on as co-sponsors of HR 14, the House version of the Senate’s bipartisan transportation bill. Persuading the House to take up something like the Senate’s bipartisan measure, sooner rather than later, is probably the best chance we have that an actual authorization  can be [...]

Transportation for America Director James Corless today issued the following statement in response to the Senate’s adoption of MAP-21, the authorization of the federal transportation program, by a strong bipartisan vote of 74-22:

Transportation for America Director James Corless today issued the following statement in response to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s unveiling of the latest draft of the Senate’s surface transportation authorization, MAP-21, and the majority leader’s call for a cloture vote on Tuesday, March 6: “With the revisions Majority Leader Reid has negotiated with the committee [...]

“It is with deep disappointment that we find ourselves compelled to oppose the transportation bill advanced by House leadership. While we commend Chairman Mica (R-FL) for doing what he can to move a long-term transportation bill forward, the full legislation now heading to the floor of the House has significant fatal flaws. For more than three years, our coalition has worked hard for an updated federal transportation program that meets our needs in the 21st century…We still remain urgently committed to that goal.”

Reversing policy begun under President Ronald Reagan, House Ways and Means Committee – at the direction of House leadership — could move Friday to end guaranteed funding for public transportation, and leave even today’s inadequate funding levels in doubt. “We are deeply concerned that if this measure passes, Americans who use public transportation, or who would like that option in the future, will be thrown under the bus,” said James Corless, director of Transportation for America. “This couldn’t come at a worse time for people who need an affordable, reliable way to get to work, or for employers who need workers.”

WASHINGTON, DC — This week, Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) introduced the Local Flexibility for Transit Assistance Act, which would give local transit agencies flexibility in how they choose to allocate federal funding, especially during times of economic crisis. It provides transit systems with the option to use a portion of their federal transit funds for operating assistance [...]

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Senate Commerce Committee today adopted two key policy measures for the upcoming authorization of the federal transportation program. The “Surface Transportation and Freight Policy Act of 2011” establishes policy goals for the federal surface transportation program, such as addressing congestion, improving access to multiple travel options, supporting domestic manufacturing and reducing [...]

After the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee moved their draft transportation bill (MAP-21) out of committee with a successful bipartisan vote this morning, T4 America Director James Corless offered this statement: “The bipartisan passage of the MAP-21 bill in the Senate EPW Committee this morning provides a significant opportunity to move forward on a [...]

This new report from T4 America ranks metropolitan areas on the condition of their bridges, and finds that more than 18,000 bridges in our largest metropolitan areas are rated “structurally deficient.” This new look at the bridge data from earlier in 2011 finds that just a quarter of deficient U.S. bridges, located in these 102 metropolitan areas over 500,000 people, carry 75 percent of all traffic crossing a deficient bridge each day.