Author Archive
Lawmakers move to address pedestrian safety in the wake of Dangerous by Design
Tuesday’s release of Dangerous by Design outlining the 47,700 deaths and 688,000 injuries to people while walking on unsafe streets has renewed Congress’ focus on pedestrian safety in the next transportation bill. But what substantial steps the House and Senate will take to promote safer streets and improve conditions for walking remains very much in […]
T4 teams up with fiscally conservative groups to promote innovative transportation solutions
Transportation for America partnered with Taxpayers for Common Sense and the Reason Foundation — not a trio you’re accustomed to seeing — on a report detailing innovative and cost-effective transportation solutions with the potential to command broad support in a divided Congress. The jointly written report, The Most for Our Money: Taxpayer Friendly Solutions for the […]
Diverse groups propose cost-effective strategies to get the most for our transportation money
Transportation for America, the Reason Foundation and Taxpayers for Common Sense show how to modernize systems, increase safety and reduce congestion WASHINGTON, D.C. – A new report released today by Reason Foundation, Taxpayers for Common Sense and Transportation for America proposes cost-effective recommendations that Congress should consider as part of the pending transportation bill that […]
Rockefeller and Pew: States need to strengthen performance measures
Many states fail to track the results of their transportation dollars, according to a new report by the Pew Center on the States and the Rockefeller Foundation. The report, Measuring Transportation Investments: The Road to Results, is quick to tie the timing of its findings to the current debate over including more performance measures in […]
Florida’s high-speed rail loss is the Northeast’s gain
Secretary Ray LaHood is in a good mood this morning. The U.S. Department of Transportation has announced the recipients of $2 billion in high-speed rail funds, a total of 22 “carefully selected projects that will create jobs, boost manufacturing and spur development while laying the foundation for future economic competitiveness,” LaHood wrote on his blog. […]
Complete Streets bill introduced in House, policies gaining in popularity across the country
Yesterday’s release of the bipartisan Safe and Complete Streets Act of 2011 is an affirmative step toward ensuring the safety and convenience of America’s streets for everyone. H.R. 1780, sponsored by Representatives Matsui of California and LaTourette of Ohio, would require state transportation officials to consider the needs of pedestrians, bicyclists, transit riders and people with disabilities, as well as motorists.
U.S. mayors say no to new revenue for transportation without reform
A supermajority of America’s mayors surveyed by the U.S. Conference of Mayors are clamoring for a reorientation in our nation’s transportation policy toward fixing what we have and investing in new options. Ninety-eight percent of mayors identified affordable, reliable transit as crucial to their city’s recovery and growth, according to a survey of 176 mayors […]
America’s infrastructure woes signal “life in the slow lane”
The dichotomy between anti-spending sentiment — which a majority of Americans identify with on a conceptual if not programmatic level — and the persistence of pressing infrastructure needs that require real money is the theme of a lengthy piece in this week’s print edition of The Economist, a publication known for its fiscally conservative bent. […]
Today’s Headline – 5/5/11
Illinois will receive $186 million in rail funds — rejected by Florida Governor Rick Scott — for a 110 miles per hour corridor between Chicago and St. Louis. (Tribune) The Senate will not vote this week on eliminating billions in oil industry tax breaks. (The Hill) Republicans said they may drop demands to privatize Medicare […]
High gas prices are fueling demand for broader transportation options
Demand for mass transit is surging everywhere as a result of higher gas prices, generating the need for 670 million additional passenger trips on transit systems. With the nation’s comprehensive surface transportation bill overdue for renewal, this ought to lend greater urgency to the need for robust investment in an array of options to ensure no one gets stranded or left behind.
South Dakota Senator Tim Johnson stresses rural transit needs as gas prices continue to escalate
Gas prices in the U.S. continue to escalate and could hit $4.25 by Memorial Day, according to some projections. These spikes tend to hit smaller communities and rural areas particularly hard, as residents and businesses must travel farther and use more energy during daily activities. Senator Tim Johnson, a Democrat from South Dakota, has pledged to use his clout on the Banking Committee to fund rural transit systems in the next transportation bill.
New York Times: High-speed rail deserves continued support
Originally uploaded by pgengler to Flickr. The New York Times resolutely defended high-speed rail in an editorial this morning, characterizing the elimination of remaining funds for the program this fiscal year as “harebrained.” The budget deal reached by the White House and Congress zeroed-out the $1 billion allocated for high-speed rail in fiscal year 2011 […]
Government audit confirms that TIGER, rail grants followed merit-based process, despite GOP complaints
Although a Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that the Obama administration set and followed a merit based decision-making process for awarding high-speed rail and TIGER grants, several Republican lawmakers claimed the report revealed a lack of transparency and accountability for where the money went. “Although we can develop cost-effective high-speed rail transportation in this country, […]
Government shutdown averted in last-minute budget deal, with some cuts to transportation
Down-to-the-wire negotiations late last night between President Obama, House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid resulted in a budget deal containing about $38 billion in reductions from current spending levels and the prevention of a government shutdown. The High Speed and Intercity Passenger Rail program will receive $1 billion, a reduction of $1.5 billion from the previous year, and the New Starts program — a key revenue source for transit projects throughout the country — loses $280 million, though the figure is reportedly sufficient to fund projects that have already received grants from USDOT.
Long Island Bus spared from drastic cuts — for the time being
A month ago, we noted that the Long Island Bus system in New York’s Nassau County was slated to cut service in half without a funding deal between state and local officials. Fortunately for the 33 million annual riders on the LI Bus, the New York State Senate on Friday announced an $8.6 million cash infusion to prevent these cuts.
T4 America co-chair John Robert Smith tells key House subcommittee to repair infrastructure and invest in transit options
T4 America co-chair John Robert Smith encouraged members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to enact “bold new policy” to repair our nation’s crumbling infrastructure, increase transit options and demand accountability for results, in testimony delivered on Capitol Hill today. Smith, the former 16-year Republican mayor of Meridian, Mississippi and President and CEO of […]
New report highlights mounting challenge of aging bridges
One in nine of the bridges and overpasses American drivers cross each day is rated in poor enough condition that they could become dangerous or be closed without near-term repair, according to a report released today by Transportation for America. Nearly 70,000 bridges nationwide are rated “structurally deficient” and are in need of substantial repair or replacement, according to federal data. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) estimates that the backlog of potentially dangerous bridges would cost $70.9 billion to eliminate, while the federal outlay for bridges amounts to slightly more than $5 billion per year.
Kerry-Hutchison-Warner infrastructure bank would leverage private investment for revenue-generating projects
Last week, a bipartisan group of U.S. Senators introduced a bill to create a variation of the national infrastructure bank touted by President Obama. The BUILD Act is sponsored by Senator John Kerry, the 2004 Democratic presidential nominee from Massachusetts, as well as Texas Republican Kay Bailey Hutchison and Virginia Democrat Mark Warner, a former governor with a history of prioritizing transportation infrastructure.
Oregon Senator Ron Wyden wants to relaunch popular Build America Bonds program
The Build America Bonds program, a popular infrastructure investment initiative in the 2009 Recovery Act, did not make it into the bipartisan tax deal struck by President Obama and Congressional Republicans late last year. But Senator Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat, is now attempting a rebrand and relaunch.
West Virginia’s Nick Rahall says we have a “great deficit in infrastructure,” warns against deep budget cuts
Saying we have a “great deficit in infrastructure in this country,” the top Democrat on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee warned this week that ill-considered cuts to domestic spending would hinder the economy recovery and put important projects at risk. Nick Rahall, who represents West Virginia’s Third Congressional District in the state’s southern corner, […]
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