Government Organizations
Basics
The State DOT Revolving Door: Meet Jerry Wray, Ohio’s “Asphalt Sheriff”
One of the top goals of the national transportation reform movement is to get state DOTs to spend their money more wisely. The feds distribute tens of billions of dollars to state DOTs each year with very few strings attached. But for every state like Massachusetts or Tennessee that's decided to shift toward building walkable streets and away from highway construction, there are plenty of state DOTs that continue to build very expensive, sprawl-inducing roads, even though they can't afford to maintain what they already have.
January 29, 2013
It’s Official: LaHood Is Out
After a few false alarms, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has finally come out and said it: He's leaving the administration.
January 29, 2013
FTA Grapples With Likely Funding Cuts
After fighting to maintain reasonable funding levels in the transportation bill – and for the inclusion of dedicated transit funding in the first place – the Federal Transit Administration now finds itself up against almost certain funding cuts that imperil rail and bus expansion projects, as well as the agency's own staffing.
January 18, 2013
Does Detroit Need Another $1.8 Billion of Freeway? MDOT Thinks So
If there's a city that could serve as a cautionary tale for overbuilding highways, that city is Detroit. So it's fascinating -- and encouraging -- to see this city going through an internal tussle over the wisdom of building a highway.
January 17, 2013
Citing Lack of Funds, Tennessee Calls Off $1.5 Billion Highway Project
Something tells me we're going to be seeing a lot more of this in the not-so-distant future.
January 15, 2013
Jay Rockefeller to Retire From Senate in 2015
Sen. Jay Rockefeller is expected to announce later today that he won't run for re-election in 2014. The West Virginia Democrat will have served 30 years in the Senate. He chairs the Senate Commerce Committee, one of the four Senate committees – though probably the least of the four – that crafts the surface transportation authorization, with a focus on rail.
January 11, 2013
Bob McDonnell: Everyone Should Pay For Virginia’s Roads (Except Drivers)
In transportation circles, there's an endless debate about how to fund infrastructure. Raise the gas tax? Index it to inflation? Institute a vehicle-miles-traveled fee? Many jurisdictions have turned to property taxes, bonds, and sales taxes as a supplement.
January 9, 2013
Do T&I Committee Members Get the Transpo Needs of American Cities?
Who will be looking out for the interests of transit riders in the 113th Congress? It’s easy to figure it out, said Cap’n Transit over the weekend: Just check whether they have an R or a D next to their names.
January 8, 2013
FTA Opens the Door For More Transit Expansions to Receive Federal Funding
One of the most important federal transit programs has undergone a makeover, and transit advocates are cheering the results.
January 7, 2013