U.S. Senate
Basics
Senate’s $287B Road Repair Offers Just .4% for Biking
Two U.S. Senators are pushing a bill that would allocate $287 billion to fix the nation's crumbling roads and bridges — with less than one percent of it set aside to keep cyclists and pedestrians safe.
July 29, 2019
Mayors Seek Transit Funds To Fight Climate Change (And What’s Happening in This Picture)
A coalition of mayors wants Congress to declare a "Marshall Plan" against climate change by spending on mass transit to curb air pollution in their cities.
The mayors of Atlanta, Honolulu, St. Paul, Pittsburgh, and Portland, Ore., implored senators at a climate hearing on Capitol Hill last week to invest in renewable-energy programs in order to create jobs and fund bus and rail systems, with the goal of weening people off gas-polluting vehicles.
July 23, 2019
HYPE-err-Loop! 700 MPH Cleveland-Chicago Train Actually Gets Taxpayer Cash
If a 28-minute ride between Chicago and Cleveland at the speed of sound seems too good to be true, well then you're not dreaming big enough. Or fast and long enough.
July 3, 2019
Senators Want to Sneak Safety Exemptions for Self-Driving Cars Into Law
A group of senators led by South Dakota Republican John Thune wants to let companies rush self-driving cars to market before any federal safety standards related to autonomous systems have been drafted.
July 17, 2018
Congress Can’t Let Self-Driving Car Makers Treat People as Guinea Pigs, Say Public Safety Watchdogs
A bill in Congress to allow large numbers of self-driving cars on American streets needs substantial revisions to protect people inside and outside of autonomous vehicles.
May 7, 2018
GOP Tax Cuts Threaten Funding for Transit, Biking, and Walking
Congress is on track to trigger spending austerity that will cut programs like New Starts and TIGER.
December 4, 2017
Congress Poised to Let Autonomous Car Companies Run Wild in Cities
Both houses of Congress are crafting regulations that will set the stage for autonomous vehicles, and they're not off to good start.
October 5, 2017
The Transit Budget in Congress Only Looks Good in Comparison to Trump’s Threats
Back in March, the Trump administration released a budget proposal that included draconian cuts to transit. Now budget bills are moving through the GOP-controlled House and Senate, and while the threat to transit isn't as severe as what the administration was calling for, it's still alarming.
August 1, 2017
Public-Private Partnerships Will Not Save U.S. Infrastructure
A panel of experts told Congress that, even with perfectly executed public-private partnerships, the federal government still needs to provide its own support -- especially for projects, like transit lines, that aren't guaranteed to generate toll revenue for profit-seeking investors.
May 17, 2017
House and Senate Decline Trump’s Request to Gut Transit Funding, For Now
Yesterday, Congress came out with a funding package that keeps the government operating until the end of September. Officially, it's known as the omnibus appropriations package for fiscal year 2017. Unofficially, it's a Republican Congress ignoring the wishes of President Donald J. Trump, and for transit projects around the country, it's what amounts to good news these days.
May 2, 2017
