Recent Streetsblog USA posts about 2009 Transportation Bill

Senate GOP Continues to Resist Sanctions-Based Distracted Driving Rules

By Elana Schor | Apr 15, 2010 | 6 Comments

The Senate environment committee’s senior Republican yesterday joined his counterpart on the commerce panel in criticizing legislation that would withhold federal highway funding from states that fail to crack down on distracted driving, casting doubt on Congress’ ability to approve any punitive approach to reining in texting and cell phone use by drivers. (Photo: SCnow.com) […]

What Happened to the Proposed ‘Transportation Tax’ on Wall Street?

By Elana Schor | Apr 5, 2010 | 1 Comment

For several weeks last fall, as members of the House infrastructure committee pushed for passage of a new six-year federal transportation bill as a strategy to rouse the economy from recession, a proposal to pay for the legislation with a small tax on oil futures trades attracted a healthy crop of Democratic cosponsors and some […]

Could Gas-Tax Bonds Pay For the Next Federal Transportation Bill?

By Elana Schor | Mar 31, 2010 | 9 Comments

House infrastructure committee chairman Jim Oberstar (D-MN), facing steep political odds in his push to pass a new six-year federal transportation bill this year, has begun to pitch an outside-the-box solution to the financing shortfall that is still stalling congressional action: Treasury bonds. (Photo: Pop and Politics) Oberstar’s proposal would plug the hole in anticipated […]

As Minneapolis Joins NACTO, Oberstar Backs Shift on Transit Operating Aid

By Elana Schor | Mar 30, 2010 | 6 Comments

At an event in Minneapolis today, House transportation committee chairman Jim Oberstar (D-MN) announced his support for giving urban transit agencies more flexibility to spend federal transportation formula money on operating — a change in the current law that has already won the backing of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood but has split the transit industry. […]

New Poll: Support For Transit Expansion Transcends Rural-Urban Divide

By Elana Schor | Mar 30, 2010 | 2 Comments

How respondents replied to the following statement: "My community would benefit from an expanded and improved public transportation system, such as rail or buses." (Chart: T4A) Despite the frequent reluctance of rural lawmakers to support more federal investment in transit, a majority of rural and urban voters alike believe their home towns would gain from […]

‘A Dozen or So’ Senators Delay Passage of Oberstar’s Highway Funding Fix

By Elana Schor | Mar 29, 2010 | 3 Comments

A contentious congressional dispute over $932 million in transportation funding remains unresolved this week after the Senate approved a one-month extension of federal aviation law rather than a three-month version of the bill that included a fix to the provision at issue. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) (Photo: LV City Life) House transportation committee […]

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