T4America Blog

News, press releases and other updates

Posts Tagged "Mayor John Robert Smith"

In the Wall Street Journal: Our chairman advocates for long-distance rail

T4America’s chairman, John Robert Smith, starred in a mini-documentary from the Wall Street Journal about Amtrak’s proposal to cut long-distance routes. Smith made the case for saving these routes.

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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.

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In Senate hearing, local officials stand up for greater access to federal funds

Now that the Environment and Public Works Committee has passed the highway title of the Senate’s next transportation bill, attention shifts to three other committees writing remaining portions of the bill. Last week the Commerce Committee held a hearing on “local perspectives on moving America”, including testimony from T4America’s John Robert Smith, the former mayor of Meridian, MS.

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T4 co-chair John Robert Smith talking transportation at the White House

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.

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Video: John Robert Smith on helping politicos see the importance of passenger rail

In this short video, Former Meridian, Mississippi Mayor and current T4 America co-chair John Robert Smith talks about the project to build a new multimodal train station in downtown Meridian when he was mayor, proposed cuts to Amtrak that happened shortly afterward, and how a few key Senators championed funding for Amtrak after seeing how ordinary people outside of D.C. depended on that service.

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T4 America co-chair testifies before Senate on rural transportation

Mayor John Robert Smith, T4 America co-chair and President of Reconnecting America, testified before a Senate committee today about the transportation challenges facing rural areas and small towns — and offered six practical suggestions for how the federal government can help them meet these challenges head-on. Far from being left behind or left out of federal transportation policy, Mayor Smith’s testimony provides a clear road map for boosting the economies of Main Streets across America.

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Mayor John Robert Smith on why transportation matters to him

Check out this short video of Mayor John Robert Smith, T4 America co-chair and former Mayor of Meridian, Mississippi, in which he discusses his very personal reasons for choosing not to seek a fifth term as mayor and move to Washington, D.C. to be a part of this effort to change the course of our country’s transportation system.

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Meridian, Mississippi Mayor urges a renewed effort to continue “uniting” the United States of America

Mayor John Robert Smith of Meridian, Mississippi helped Transportation For America officially launch our full platform last week. Mayor Smith provided a stirring keynote address, evoking Eisenhower’s vision of a connected America, while urging us to build the second half of our national system.

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