A federal government commitment to open data — epitomized in a White House “datapalooza” last Friday — has catalyzed the development of apps and tools that can help enrich citizens’ lives and help keep them safer.

The White House film crew talked to T4 America co-chair and President of Reconnecting America John Robert Smith last week about the need to invest in transportation, following our recent meeting with the President and other groups. Check out the short video below.

Three T4 America partners were invited to join us at the White House Monday to meet the President of the United States and talk about transportation funding, specifically the infrastructure portion of the President’s American Jobs Act. The President’s plan, which failed to make it to a final vote yesterday in the Senate, would have invested $60 [...]

The White House agrees to sign a bill intended to improve rail safety — a response to the tragic September 12 crash in California — which also includes more than $12 billion in funding for Amtrak. (Los Angeles Times — Steve Hymon)

The White House plans on approving a bill to provide Amtrak with $13 billion over the next five years, helping the company accommodate the country’s soaring demand for rail travel. (Wall Street Journal — Christopher Conkey)

Facing an infrastructure crisis and sinking revenues, the Bush Administration drops its opposition to a plan to use $8 billion from the general fund to plug a hole in the federal highway fund. (San Francisco Chronicle – Richard Simon)

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters believes we can soften the transportation funding crisis by borrowing billions from the federal mass transit fund, but the Washington Post‘s editorial board says that taking money away from public transportation when ridership is at an all time high is a big mistake.

Citing the growing problem of declining gas tax revenue, the White House throws its hat into the ring on transportation funding and argues that public-private partnerships and more tolls are the best solutions. (Wall Street Journal — Christopher Conkey)

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters explains that the country is in need of a more sustainable source of funding for our federal transportation program, but admits, “The next president, the next administration, the next Congress will decide what to do.” (Associated Press)

With gas tax revenues dropping due to changes in Americans’ driving habits, White House officials think they have an easy fix — raid the federal transit fund, right as commuters are hopping on trains and buses in record numbers. (New York Times — Matthew Wald)