Today’s Headlines

  • House transport committee aides start acknowledging the uncomfortable truth: Despite Senate Dems’ vow to Voinovich, a new long-term federal bill could be delayed until 2011 (Bond Buyer)
  • Gauging the prospects, both political and practical, for Senate Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd’s transit-oriented development legislation (Next American City)
  • Amtrak makes its official budget request to Congress: $446 million for upgrades (Bloomberg)
  • The first stirrings of a crisis in local government financing rear their head in the mid-Atlantic (TNR’s The Avenue)
  • A roundup of the big obstacles to a successful Florida high-speed rail link between Tampa and Orlando (NYT)
  • Bans on digital roadside billboards become more popular, thanks to distracted driving concerns (USAT)
  • Do Chicago’s shorter yellow traffic-light times help or hurt safety? (Tribune)
  • San Diego tollway’s operators file for bankruptcy (Merc News)

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How Massachusetts is Reforming Fare Enforcement

By Christian MilNeil |
In addition authorizing debt spending for hundreds of infrastructure projects across the Commonwealth, the multi-billion dollar bond package that the Massachusetts Senate passed earlier this month would also make significant reforms to how the MBTA enforces fare payments on its trains, buses, and ferries. The Commonwealth’s current fare evasion law sets large penalties for people […]

LaHood Faces Off With GOP Senator Over High-Speed Rail, Livability

By Elana Schor |
When Cabinet secretaries appear in front of Congress’ appropriations committees, which control the annual budgets for each federal agency, the proceedings tend to be dry affairs dominated by local concerns and arcane fiscal debates. Sen. Kit Bond (R-MO) (Photo: Politico) But Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood’s visit with Senate appropriators today was anything but humdrum, as […]

Sen. Wyden Proposes TRIP Bonds to Fund Transportation

By Tanya Snyder |
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) is sort of the bond guy around the Senate. He’s a big fan of bonds as a way to raise money for infrastructure projects without much federal cost. Now he’s introduced a bill to create Transportation and Regional Infrastructure Project bonds. They’re different from Build America Bonds in several significant ways. […]

Senate Starts Work on New Transport Bill, With House Version as a Guide

By Elana Schor |
The Senate today took its first steps towards voting on a new long-term federal transportation bill, with environment committee chairman Barbara Boxer (D-CA) vowing to take up a successor to the 2005 infrastructure law before 2011 and indicating she would use the House’s already-introduced version as a framework. Senate environment committee chairman Barbara Boxer (D-CA), […]

House Bill Delayed, But Transit, Biking, and Walking Aren’t Safe Yet

By Ben Goldman |
Congress is in recess, and the House’s atrocious transportation bill has been dismembered and delayed, but if you want to preserve funding for transit and active transportation, don’t let your guard down yet. There’s still plenty to watch out for as the House and Senate attempt to reauthorize federal transportation programs. As we’ve reported, there are […]