Today’s Headlines

By Elana Schor
Jul 7, 2009

Senate environment committee kicks climate drafting into high gear, scheduling a hearing on transportation (Greenwire)

House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) criticizes the stimulus but supports stimulus cash for high-speed rail, and sees no problem with that (Politico)

New paper in Science affirms Jane Jacobs: Urban-style population density helped shape human cognition (Scienceblogs via Andrew Sullivan)

Be afraid, be very afraid … the Obama DOT and senior members of Congress want you to get out of your cars (WSJ)

ALSO ON STREETSBLOG

Jindal’s Not Alone: Guvs Who Shunned Stimulus Warm to High-Speed Rail

By Elana Schor | Aug 20, 2009

Think Progress took note yesterday of a change of heart from Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R), who blasted the economic stimulus law for its $8 billion in "wasteful spending" on high-speed rail — only to later seek $300 million of that money for a rail link between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. Gov. Mark Sanford […]

Today’s Headlines

By Elana Schor | Sep 3, 2009

More coverage of the House’s state-level stimulus spending report (JOC, Reuters) Exposing yet another commentator’s irrational skepticism for high-speed rail (WSJ) Wyoming DOT seeks $100 million in stimulus money — two-thirds as much as its total road pot — for wildlife crossings (Star-Trib) Er, the Secretary of Energy is a "radical global warming activist"? (WashIndy)

Report: Nation’s Cities Not Getting Their Share of Stimulus Transpo Money

By Elana Schor | Jun 15, 2009

The nation’s largest metropolitan areas — which account for 63 percent of the U.S. population and 73 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) — have received less than half of the surface transportation money allocated so far underthe Obama administration’s economic stimulus plan, according to a new report compiled for the U.S. Conference of […]

DOT Defines High-Speed Rail: ‘Reasonably Expected to Reach … 110 MPH’

By Elana Schor | Jun 17, 2009

The federal DOT has just released its guidance for states seeking a share of its $8 billion in high-speed rail funding — and tucked in the rules are standards that could prove crucial to the project’s success. President Obama helps his DOT chief prepare — for making high-speed rail decisions, perhaps? (Photo: whitehouse via Flickr) […]

A High-Speed Rail Reality Check for Texas

By Elana Schor | Feb 3, 2010

Despite data backing up the White House’s assertion that politics played no role in high-speed rail decision-making, Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) — waging a re-election bid against a GOP primary challenger as well as the Democratic mayor of Houston — wasn’t shy about complaining after his state received less than one-hundredth of the $1.8 […]

Today’s Headlines

By Elana Schor | Aug 5, 2009

No. 2 House Democrat talks up high-speed rail in upstate New York (Utica O-D) Minnesota is still locked in negligence litigation with two companies after its deadly 2007 bridge collapse — but the state DOT is giving them millions of dollars in work anyway (AP) "Cash for clunkers" is a stellar economic stimulus … for […]