Tell Congress to make a historic investment in high speed rail
September 22, 2009By Stephen Lee Davis
Congress is heading towards a decisive, historic moment on investing in high speed rail for America. But the outcome is far from certain.
In the next few weeks, Congress will decide whether or not to give the Department of Transportation $1.2 billion or $4 billion on high speed rail for the next year. $8 billion was allocated for planning and implementing clean, efficient, high speed train travel in the economic stimulus earlier this year, and with another $4 billion, we’d be making a historic $12 billion investment in high speed rail to help us move into the 21st century, unclog our congested airports and airspace, and provide a new clean, efficient alternative for speedy travel between major metro areas.
Sometime in the next week or two, Congress will decide whether or not to give DOT the amount in the House version of the bill ($4 billion), or the Senate version ($1.2 billion).
Tell Congress to keep $4 billion in the bill at www.fourbillion.com
Transportation for America is partnering with U.S. PIRG, Virginians for High Speed Rail, and the Midwest High Speed Rail Association to send a message to Congress that now is the time to make a historic investment in high speed rail.
Want the wonky details? As you may remember, the Senate passed the bill that funds the Department of Transportation and the Department of Housing and Urban Development last week. The bill that passed last week is what’s known as a (yearly) appropriations bill, where the budget for the department and the programs are finalized and officially given their money by Congress. The House passed their version of the DOT/HUD funding bill several weeks ago, so the differences between the two bills will be ironed out in a conference committee very soon. The House and the Senate will select conferees to reconcile the two versions of the bill, before sending a final bill back to the House and Senate for a last vote and then to President Obama’s desk.
Let’s tell them to send the president a bill with $4 billion for high speed rail.
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Daily Headlines — 06/17/09
June 17, 2009By Andrew Bielak
- The U.S. House prepares to release the transportation bill in the coming weeks, but legislators have little consensus how to finance the next six years of projects. (Wall Street Journal)
- Rep. James Oberstar (D-MN) looks to create “transit equity” in the new transportation authorization by adding more balance to the funding formulas for highways and public transportation. (BNET)
- A new federal provision would give transit agencies some relief for ballooning operating expenses. (New York Times)
- Virginia takes it sweet time in requesting stimulus funds for transportation projects. (Washington Post)
- Transit access could make Tyson’s Corner, outside Washington DC, from a sprawling center of employment to a walkable, convenient destination. (Time)
Planning for the future: Washington’s new Woodrow Wilson Bridge
June 17, 2009By Stephen Lee Davis
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| A New Trail Originally uploaded by M.V. Jantzen. A bicyclist cruises along I-495/95 on the new Woodrow Wilson Bridge “active transportation lane,” leading to the rare sight of someone not in a car using the Capital Beltway. View more photos of the opening on Flickr from Eric Gilliland, director of the Washington Area Bicyclist Association (a T4 partner.) |
Two weekends ago, the 12-foot-wide bicycle and pedestrian lane of the Woodrow Wilson interstate bridge over the Potomac River held its grand opening in Washington DC, filling with bikers and walkers who can now join the thousands of cars that cross the bridge each day.
The bridge, which connects Virginia and Maryland on the southern part of the Capital Beltway, is a vital transportation link in the region, where Interstate 95 (and the large majority of truck traffic) bypasses Washington, continuing north or south along the eastern seaboard.
Hundreds of bicyclists enjoyed a ride across the bridge for the first time ever last weekend, and the renovations to the bridge also added dedicated space for a future transit line — not something you see everyday on an interstate bridge in the United States.
Building a new bridge to replace the 1961 bridge had been discussed for decades, but the planning kicked into high gear in the 1990’s, with Maryland, Virginia, and the federal government all engaged in the process (DC relinquished control to the states.)
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| The King Street (Virginia) and Branch Avenue (Maryland) Metro stops are separated by just a few miles and the Potomac River, but require a long ride into DC to travel between the two on the Metrorail system. One day, Metro might cross the Wilson Bridge instead. |
Looking at a map of the Metrorail public transportation system, one can see that only a few miles separate the end of the green line in Maryland and the yellow and blue lines in Virginia. There was no active work to connect the two lines, but a handful of people in the planning process wondered about dedicating some space on the bridge for a future, useful Metro connection.
Parris Glendening, Governor of Maryland from 1995-2003, said that planning for a future transit connection was just common sense.
“Those stations are just a few miles apart as the crow flies, but no one in Maryland who has a choice is going to ride all the way up into DC to switch trains and ride all the way back out to Virginia — and end up only a few miles from where they started,” he said.
(Continue Reading)
Today’s Headlines — 06/04/09
June 4, 2009By Andrew Bielak
- Virginia’s next governor needs to be focused first and foremost on the state’s struggling transportation system. (Washington Post)
- Vice President Joe Biden says states need to forge ahead on building rail. (Reuters)
- The Christian Science Monitor argues for a gas tax increase.
- Blogger Ryan Avent calls out noted anti-transit advocate Randal O’Toole. (Streetsblog)
Road funds may fall by $2.6 billion over 6 years
October 16, 2008By Andrew Bielak
An economic downturn and falling gas tax revenue puts Virginia’s transportation system in a tough spot. (Associated Press — Larry O’Dell)
McCain Pledge Sought For Dulles Rail Project
October 9, 2008By Andrew Bielak
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 $360 Million Mirage
July 7, 2008By Transportation for America
The $360 Million Mirage
The Washington Post
Editorial
Virginia lawmakers are locked in partisan battle over a rescue package for the state’s badly underfunded transportation network.
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- 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 - Opposition to Senate extension results in looming shutdown of federal transportation programs
February 26, 2010 - T4 jobs proposal would create nearly half a million jobs, according to Economic Policy Institute
February 17, 2010 - Obama’s 2011 budget gives a lift to livability and transportation
February 2, 2010
- Transit grants out the federal door, but what about the cuts?
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
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