Today’s Headlines

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 […]

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 […]

Today’s Headlines

By Elana Schor | Jul 9, 2009

House Ways and Means Committee joins the Senate in shutting the door on Rep. Jim Oberstar’s (D-MN) push for a new transportation bill (The Hill) The field-testing of a future alternative to the gas tax kicks into high gear (AP) Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell (D) calls for a second stimulus that’s targeted to infrastructure … […]

House Lawmakers Hail Transportation Stimulus — But Add Three Caveats

By Elana Schor | Feb 23, 2010

At a House transportation committee hearing today that marked the one-year anniversary of the Obama administration’s economic recovery efforts, lawmakers offered praise for the stimulus law’s impact on local infrastructure investments even as they hit upon three key areas of concern with its implementation. The Port of Los Angeles was shut out of the stimulus’ […]