Today’s Headlines

  • Massachusetts transit officials like the sound of the Obama administration’s pitch to help oversee light rail and subway safety (Globe)
  • In addition to its transit safety push, the administration has also issued safety rules for motorcoach buses (Bloomberg)
  • Even conservative Dems such as Sen. Ben Nelson (NE) are open to new transportation spending to help boost employment (HuffPost)
  • Meanwhile, Perlmutter joins the ranks of House Dems backing DeFazio’s Wall Street transpo tax (The Hill)
  • Better infrastructure is an important legacy to leave to the next generation — but we’re falling behind (NYT)
  • New study finds 1 in 3 teens confessing to a "frightening" habit of texting while driving (WashPost)
  • The nation’s senior transportation safety official decries the media’s focus on salacious, context-free details of crashes (CBS News)

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On the Pitfalls and Benefits of National Transit Safety Standards

By Elana Schor |
The second hearing in three days on the Obama administration’s proposal for national transit safety rules made headlines mostly for its affect on the Washington D.C. area, where Sen. Barbara Mikulski’s (D-MD) blistering critique of the local Metro rail system prompted high-level management switches. "There’s a saying in our business," APTA President William Millar (above) […]

Obama Aide Defends Transit Safety Plan as Different from Rail Rules

By Elana Schor |
Federal Transit Administration (FTA) chief Peter Rogoff today mounted a defense of the White House’s transit safety plan, assuring some skeptical members of Congress that he does not want to "replicate" inter-city rail safety rules that have taken flak for impeding the development of viable U.S. train networks. As of last year, D.C.’s Metro had […]

White House Unveils Transit Safety Bill to Cautious Praise on the Hill

By Elana Schor |
Lawmakers on the House transportation committee today greeted details of the Obama administration’s transit safety plan with approval, but some sounded skeptical notes about the costs of state compliance with new federal rules even as transit agencies cope with billions of dollars in maintenance and repair backlogs. Washington D.C.’s transit safety oversight agency has less […]