Today’s Headlines

  • 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 dealers of chemicals that kill engines (WSJ)
  • Rock on: Employees at Nashville’s transit authority have a band, and Jack White’s producing their new singles (Pitchfork)
  • The House transportation committee’s job-creation estimates for the stimulus are looking pretty shoddy (ProPublica)

ALSO ON STREETSBLOG

House Boosts Transpo and Housing Spending Levels By 25%

By Elana Schor |
The House Appropriations Committee has just released its "302(b)s," the allocations that determine how much money can be spent by each of the dozen appropriations panels that supervise federal agency budgets. Rep. John Olver (D-MA) (Photo: Washington Post) And in a fortuitous bit of news for transportation wonks, the panel known as "THUD" — short […]

The Good Problem With Housing Near Transit: It’s Almost Too Popular

By Elana Schor |
Local officials are catching on to the power of transit-oriented development to transform quality of life while decreasing congestion, as my colleague Ryan Avent has explored. But now that the federal government is starting to explore how to expand transit-accessible housing, an intriguing problem is arising: it’s almost too popular. Transit-oriented development in Jersey City, […]

House Votes on Transportation Spending: Track it Live

By Elana Schor |
While how to pay for future transport programs takes center stage in the House today, another crucial debate is going on over approval of next year’s U.S. DOT budget. The full House is set to vote this afternoon on the $123 billion transportation and housing spending bill for 2010, with a series of amendments okayed […]

House to Take Up Transportation Spending Bill This Week

By Elana Schor |
The House’s transportation and housing spending bill for 2010 is slated for a vote in the full chamber this week, setting the stage for possible showdowns over the measure’s $4 billion for high-speed rail and $150 million for the Washington D.C. Metro system.  A copy of the bill can be downloaded on the website of […]