Today’s Headlines

  • LaHood’s candid answer to a question about when Georgia will get high-speed rail: when the state "gets its act together" and gives greater support to transit (AJC)
  • National safety regulators warn transit systems nationwide to watch out for a safety glitch that may have played a role in the June crash of a D.C. Metro train (NYT)
  • Prince of Wales doing his part for livable streets in the U.K. (USAT)
  • Chicago’s transit authority chief is on her way out (Crain’s)
  • Last year’s oil price spike is proving an unexpected boon for airlines (Tribune)
  • Virginia gubernatorial hopeful Creigh Deeds (D) outlines his transportation goals … (WaPo)
  • … as does Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (HuffPo)
  • LaHood tours Ohio transit facility with Gov. Ted Strickland (D) (NBC4i)

ALSO ON STREETSBLOG

Will Federal Oversight Help or Hinder DC Transit?

By Angie Schmitt |
The feds have taken over safety oversight of D.C.’s embattled Metro, and that could actually be cause for concern, says David Alpert at Greater Greater Washington. U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx laid out his vision for safety-related reforms under the aegis of the Federal Transit Administration in a recent piece in the Washington Post. One person was killed when smoke filled […]

Senators Hear From Obama’s Transit Chief-in-Waiting

By Elana Schor |
One of the Capitol’s sad, secret truths is that members of Congress often skip committee hearings on issues of vital importance to their states — and today’s confirmation session with Peter Rogoff, the president’s nominee to lead the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), was no exception. Just three members of the Senate Banking Committee showed up […]

Good News From the Senate: Transit Operating Assistance and Much More

By Tanya Snyder |
Today’s Senate Banking Committee hearing held some good news for transit riders. Unintuitive though it may be, Banking has jurisdiction over public transportation in the Senate. While in the House, the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee handles every aspect of the reauthorization, in the Senate the bill gets carved up. Environment and Public Works is taking […]

Following ‘Cash for Clunkers’ with ‘Riches for Rail’

By Elana Schor |
(Photo: Washington Post) Robert Menendez (D-NJ), a senior member of the Senate Banking Committee, began his hearing on transit today by displaying the above cartoon by Pulitzer prize-winner Tom Toles. The senator’s message parallels Toles’: In a world where the auto industry can get $2 billion more in one week, what’s to be done about […]