Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
2009 Transportation Bill

Senate Passes One-Month Extension of Transport Law … For Now

By a vote of 62-38, the Senate has just passed a one-month extension of the 2005 transportation law, which was set to expire at midnight tonight and leave state DOTs without a steady source of funding for road, bridge, and transit projects.

But the one-month stopgap, which was approved by the House last week, does not address the imminent cancellation of $8.7 billion in spending authority for state DOTs -- an issue that has sparked intense lobbying by highway officials as well as local governments.

For the $8.7 billion to effectively return to the states' coffers, the Senate would need to pass the House's three-month extension of transportation law and add on language that transfers new money from the Treasury.

But even if the Senate agreed to the three-month measure before its session ends tonight, the House would then need to approve the new spending. Prospects for both votes occurring before the fiscal year ends appear dim, given that the House clerk reported winding up legislative business earlier today.

So what happens to the $8.7 billion -- and how deeply does the cancellation affect the states? The answer may not become clear until the witching hour this evening.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Friday’s Headlines Got DOGE’d Again

Amidst uncertainty about future federal funding, Amtrak is cutting $100 million and 450 jobs.

May 9, 2025

Friday Video: Where Was the First Public Bus Route in the World?

...and which surprising historical figure helped launch it?

May 9, 2025

Talking Headways Podcast: ‘Normal’ is Not Correct, Someone Died Here

After a crash, the debris is quickly cleaned up and everyone moves on (usually too quickly). But these two experts are asking us to all slow down.

May 8, 2025

Thursday’s Headlines Are Not Gonna Pay a Lot for This Truck

President Trump's tariffs, along with rising insurance costs, are driving down Americans' interest in owning a car.

May 8, 2025

How One Suburb is Using Transit to Transform Into a True City

A Washington State suburb may be poised to evolve into a true transit-oriented hub – and offer lessons for other bedroom communities, even during an anti-transit era.

May 8, 2025
See all posts