Highway Expansion
Basics
A New Bill Passes, But America’s Transpo Policy Stays Stuck in 20th Century
The House of Representatives approved the transportation bill conference report this afternoon by a vote of 373 to 52. [UPDATE 4:00 PM: The Senate has also approved the bill, 74-19.] This is a bill that’s been called “a death blow to mass transit” by the Amalgamated Transit Union, “a step backwards for America's transportation system” by the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, “a retreat from the goals of sustainability and economic resiliency” by Reconnecting America, “a substantial capitulation” by Transportation for America, and “bad news for biking and walking” by America Bikes.
June 29, 2012
Transpo Bill Rumor: DeFazio Says Conference Committee ‘Gutted’ Bike/Ped
Here's the latest transpo bill news that has filtered through the tight little seams in the armor around the conference committee.
June 27, 2012
What Libertarians Talk About When They Talk About Transportation Reform
There's more than one way to approach transportation reform. One is to believe that an ideal transportation policy promotes the use of modes that are environmentally sustainable and which foster livable cities, while those that perpetuate overdependence on automobiles do neither.
April 24, 2012
This Week: Road Builders and Bike Advocates Convene in the Capital
The House of Representatives is back in town, and its members still don't have a transportation bill. In fact, they probably won't have one for weeks. But two groups holding conferences in Washington this week would be more than happy to help them out in the meantime.
March 19, 2012
Streetsies 2011: The Final Installment
Tomorrow is the last day of 2011, folks. I wish you a Happier New Year than this one was.
December 30, 2011
Streetsies 2011: The Local Edition
Yesterday, we started our year-end 2011 round-up. We lamented transit cuts in places where transit is more important than ever, cheered the successful ballot initiatives that will fund transportation lifelines, took a moment to explore the nuances of some difficult issues, and called out Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin for some hare-brained ideas about the best way to spend money.
December 29, 2011
Transit’s Not Bleeding the Taxpayer Dry — Roads Are
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: Roads don’t pay for themselves.
December 12, 2011
Ray LaHood Gives Go-Ahead to Portland’s Sprawl-Inducing Mega-Bridge
You don't need to look too hard to find signs that the ground is shifting when it comes to highway construction. Around the country, state DOTs are running out of money. Headlines ask "Are Freeways Doomed?" Overall vehicle miles traveled are down in the Pacific Northwest.
December 8, 2011