Federal Funding
Basics
5-Year, $300 Billion “FAST Act” Will Extend Transpo Policy Status Quo to 2020
They've done it. Representatives from the House and Senate have emerged from conference committee with a five-year transportation bill, which is expected to be quickly approved and become first "long-term" bill in more than a decade.
December 2, 2015
It’s Time to Stop Pretending That Roads Pay for Themselves
If nothing else, the current round of federal transportation legislating should end the myth that highways are a uniquely self-sufficient form of infrastructure paid for by "user fees," a.k.a. gas taxes and tolls.
November 25, 2015
3 White Elephants That Help Explain America’s Infrastructure Crisis
A new report by the Center for American Progress zeros in on an under-appreciated culprit in America's much ballyhooed infrastructure crisis: All the money we waste on useless roads.
September 30, 2015
Congress Trims TIGER (But Doesn’t Hack It to Pieces) in 2015 Spending Bill
The drama is over; the House and Senate have both passed the "cromnibus" spending bill [PDF] that funds government operations through the end of fiscal year 2015. And the Department of Transportation's TIGER program survived.
December 15, 2014
Poll: Support for Active Transportation Funding Is High Across Party Lines
When will Congress debate a new transportation bill? Your guess is as good as mine (May 31 expiration date of the current extension notwithstanding). But here’s some advice for whenever they do: Increase federal funding for biking and walking. Your voters demand it.
December 8, 2014
Bi-partisan Senate Bill Would Give Locals More Say Over Transpo Spending
When it comes to transportation funding, cities and towns occupy the bottom of the totem pole. The vast majority of federal transportation money goes to states, to the exclusion of local governments. That means state DOTs get tens of billions to spend on highways each year, while mayors and local agencies have to scrounge for money to improve transit, build sidewalks, or add bike lanes.
September 22, 2014
Congress Hits the Snooze Button on Transpo Funding Until May
Someone had to cave and last night, it was the Senate.
August 1, 2014
Time’s Up: 6 Things to Know About Today’s Transpo Showdown (UPDATED)
UPDATE 2:40 p.m.: The House has rejected the Senate amendment, as expected.
July 31, 2014
Building Cloverleafs Won’t Inspire Americans to Pay More for Transportation
The federal transportation fund is running out of money, threatening the country with potholes, stopped construction, and economic downturn. Congress, which has kept the program solvent with short-term patches for years, now finds itself unable to do more than buy a few months’ time.
July 23, 2014