The Tower 55 rail intersection in Fort Worth is one of the biggest national freight bottlenecks, frequently resulting in a backlog of freight trains stretching across the county and forcing some Fort Worth children to crawl under or in-between the idling trains en route to school. A $34 million TIGER II grant will help local officals address these problems and others at once.

Rail connections become increasingly important for air travel. (USA Today) Federal stimulus dollars help fund high-tech road projects. (Stateline.org) The National Journal‘s Experts Blog asks its contributors how demographic changes should impact transportation policy. A look at the next transportation bill from a Houston Chronicle columnist. New York City closes a portion of Broadway from [...]

We wanted to highlight this piece from Reuters’ Infrastructure Summit — especially an appearance by T4 America Partner The Citizens’ Transportation Coalition. Chairwoman Robin Holzer and the CTC have been working hard to bring attention to one of the most wasteful projects receiving money from the stimulus, using it as one more example to show how “the federal transportation funding system is broken, it’s just broken.”

Drivers in San Antonio are lining up at the pumps for $2.89-per-gallon gasoline, but after Americans drastically altered their transportation habits to cope with high gas prices over the summer, many people think we’re ready for some more permanent changes. (San Antonio News — Ken Rodriguez)

Oil experts Matt Simmons and Henry Groppe talk about the future of oil prices, its impact on Houston, and the potential for conservation. (Houston Chronicle — Rick Casey)

While dozens of transit agencies struggle with balooning ridership and bursting budgets, Dallas Area Rapid Transit is making a name for itself as “one of the most aggressively expanding transit agencies in North America.” (Dallas Morning News – Michael Lindenberger)

A project to extend Houston’s light rail system is expected to be completed in 2012, but without a regional transit agency capable of examining broader options for public transit, the system will be of no help to those seeking to travel to the city’s suburbs or airports. (Houston Chronicle)

While suburban Houston may traditionally conjure images of sprawling subdivisions and automobile culture, many in the area are seeing potential value in an efficient mass transit network. (Houston Chronicle — Rad Sallee)

A columnist for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram says that residential development that values density, easy transportation, and mixed-use neighborhoods is gaining ground in North Texas.

With billion in public and private investment, a newfound sense of urbanism, and a commitment to public transit, downtown Dallas is booming like never before. (Dallas Morning News — Steve Brown)