West coast port closures example of the worst case scenario
The eight-month labor dispute that left fully loaded container ships anchored off the west coast for weeks caused an “epic” back-up that underscored just how critical the smooth movement of freight is to the nation’s economy.
Update on 17 states moving to raise money for transportation
From Washington to South Carolina, 17 state legislatures (and counting) are debating plans to raise new revenue for transportation after a decade in which their primary funding sources shrank and federal support became increasingly uncertain. See the current state of play in our freshly updated national roundup.
Voters overwhelmingly re-elect candidates who raise transportation revenue, analysis of general election results shows
Continuing a trend observed in the primaries, an updated T4America analysis of November’s election data shows that, since 2012 in ten states that passed legislation to raise new transportation revenue, 90 percent of the supportive legislators retained their seats — knowledge that should be instructive for the legislators in 17 states now considering similar plans to raise state transportation revenue in 2015.
UPDATE: Better bang for the buck — learn more about performance measurement
Developing a better system to measure the performance of our transportation spending is an idea that’s gaining momentum, and we want to help you be on the cutting edge.
Rep. Shuster and Sec. Foxx address the importance of local control in today’s Twitter town hall
In what was billed as the “first Twitter town hall with a Congressional committee chair and a cabinet secretary,” Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx and House Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Bill Shuster sat down together and held an hour long Twitter town hall meeting to hear questions from the public about the reauthorization of the country’s transportation law and the upcoming insolvency of the Highway Trust Fund.
TODAY at 12 p.m. EST: Tweet your thoughts to Secretary Foxx and Chairman Shuster
As we inch closer to MAP-21’s expiration date and the insolvency of the nation’s transportation trust fund, Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx is partnering with Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-PA) to host a Twitter “Town Hall” today at 12 p.m. EST to hear from the public on the issue.
15 issues to watch in ’15, Part III: People
The members of Congress who will rewrite the nation’s transportation policies and attempt to raise funding to keep the program afloat is just one important discussion taking place this year. More states will continue efforts to raise transportation revenue and mayors in communities of all sizes will move forward key transportation initiatives; among others on a long list of people with an important role to play in 2015. Here are five that rose to the top, but tell us who you think we missed.
Rep. Blumenauer introduces plan to raise the federal gas tax
Supported by 23 cosponsors in the House, a representative from Transportation for America and a plethora of national construction, transportation and labor groups, Rep. Blumenauer and Rep. Welch introduced the UPDATE ACT (HR 680) to increase the federal gas tax by 15 cents over three years and index it to the inflation.
Lessons from recent successes: Winning State Funding for Transportation
Growing again after a long economic slump that left a huge backlog of unmet needs, a dozen or more states are moving now to raise revenue for transportation. What can they learn from the other states that acted in the last year or two? Our new report, out today, draws out seven key lessons.
Obama budget cues start of serious negotiations over transportation funding
With the release of his budget proposal yesterday, President Obama at last offered some specifics on his plan to use the repatriation of taxable corporate profits to fund transportation. In doing so, he staked out a starting point for real-world negotiations over a possible six-year transportation bill – the first time such a prospect has seemed remotely realistic in six years.
Statement in response to President Obama’s FY2016 budget for transportation
The Obama Administration Monday released a budget outline that envisions a six-year, $478 billion surface transportation authorization, paid for in part with a 14 percent tax on U.S. companies’ profits that are now parked overseas. It includes spending $94.7 billion in FY 2016 for roads, bridges, transit systems and freight networks, nearly double the current amount. Transportation for America Director James Corless issued this statement in response:
Governors step out in favor of raising transportation revenue
States across the country are facing huge deficits in their own transportation budgets — a problem compounded by the uncertainty over the support they’ve always received from the federal transportation fund, which is now just months away from insolvency. However, over the last month or so, at least nine governors have highlighted plans to raise new state transportation revenues in their State of the State addresses, marking the issue as a top priority.
Mayors’ challenge: Help us meet critical transportation needs
Last week, U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx issued a public challenge to mayors to “take significant action to improve safety for bicycle riders and pedestrians of all ages and abilities over the next year.” Mayors, in return, have a challenge of their own to the federal government: Don’t leave us in the lurch when it comes to the funding for those – and many other – transportation needs.
Tell Congress to send real dollars where the real needs are
Applause rang out from both sides of the aisle during the State of the Union, when President Obama called for the ambitious, “bipartisan infrastructure plan” we need for a 21st century, “middle-class economy”.
As a bridge falls in Cincinnati, the future of federal support remains dicey
Is the bridge collapse in Cincinnati a glimpse of our future? You may have heard that on Monday night, an obsolete overpass undergoing demolition “pancaked” onto I-75, killing a worker and nearly crushing a passing tractor-trailer. The bridge didn’t fall from decay, per se, but the circumstances in many ways are more worrisome even than […]
15 issues to watch in ’15, Part II: Places
It’s a challenge to craft a list of only five states, regions and cities that have important or notable things happening this year. Whether states attempting to raise transportation revenue this year, states changing key policies and continuing to innovate how they choose or build transportation projects, or local communities going to voters to raise money for new projects, there’s no shortage of places worth watching this year. Here are five that rose to the top, but tell us what you think we missed, in your area or elsewhere.
SOTU reaction: To build a 21st-century, ‘middle-class economy’, President and Congress must provide stable transportation funding
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In response to President Obama’s call for increased investment in infrastructure Transportation for America Director James Corless issued this statement:
Credit where it’s due: With repair rule, the feds listened to public comment
In developing new standards for ensuring our roads and bridges are kept in good condition, officials at the U.S. DOT did something skeptics would find surprising: They really listened to public comment, and reflected it in the newly released rule.
15 issues to watch in ’15, Part I: Capitol Hill developments
Already, 2015 feels like it could be a big year for transportation, at the federal, state and local levels alike. As the year began, we thought it would be fun to identify 15 people, places and trends that seemed to be worth keeping an eye on the next 12 months. In some years, 15 would be a stretch, but this year we had a tough time whittling the list to match the number of the year.
Tell the President to back a bipartisan gas tax increase
The steep drop in gas prices offers the best opportunity in years to raise the revenue we need to rescue our transportation trust fund and build for the future. And, for the first time in recent memory, leaders in both parties are calling for a gas tax increase to avoid foisting monumental repair and construction bills on the next generation.
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