Transportation Policy
Basics
Grassley Looking Into Citibank’s Million-Dollar ‘Clunkers’ Deal
Chuck Grassley (IA), the senior Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, today asked the U.S. DOT to answer a question Streetsblog Capitol Hill first wondered about months ago: How did Citibank, the beleaguered recipient of a $45 billion government bailout, snag a contract to administer the Obama administration's "cash for clunkers" program?
January 5, 2010
Transit Fare Inflation Hitting Health Insurance-Like Levels?
That's the implication buried in a roundup of dismal news from urban transit agencies that ran in Saturday's Wall Street Journal. After noting the overall ridership decreases tallied by APTA and the specter of punitive service cuts in many cities, the newspaper noted:
January 5, 2010
A Step Towards Pricing of Pollution? 11 States Back Low-Carbon Fuel Rules
While many in Washington spent their holiday breaks wondering if Senate Democratic opposition would deal a major blow to progress on a climate change bill, 11 northeastern governors were agreeing on a deal that suggests otherwise.
January 4, 2010
The 2009 Capitol Hill Streetsies: Meet the Winners!
It's been a momentous, dramatic year for transportation policy in Washington -- which made choosing the winners of this year's Streetsies all the more difficult. But after tallying up readers' votes and breaking a couple of ties, we're ready to single out the brightest (and dimmest) of 2009. Congratulations to all the winners, and Happy New Year to all! We'll see you back here bright and early on Monday.
December 31, 2009
The 2009 Capitol Hill Streetsies: And the Nominees Are …
The year-end Streetsie Awards are a time-honored tradition at Streetsblog -- check out New York's first round of honorees, hot off the presses today -- and Capitol Hill certainly has provided plenty of material. Without further ado, here are the nominees for Washington's brightest and bleakest moments of 2009. Winners will be announced on New Year's Eve, so don't forget to root for your favorites (by emailing elana [at] streetsblog [dot] org).
December 29, 2009
Adding a Dose of Honesty to the Congressional Job-Creation Debate
The House's $75 billion jobs bill was intended as a holiday gift to out-of-work voters, but transportation reformers were less than thrilled with lawmakers' decision to mimic the first stimulus law's use of outmoded funding formulas to send three times as much money to roads as to transit.
December 28, 2009
Four Finalists For White House High-Speed Rail Funding?
That was the eyebrow-raising suggestion reported by the Orlando Sentinel today after Rep. John Mica (R-FL) helped mark the beginning of central Florida's commuter-rail era, made possible by landmark legislation signed into state law this week.
December 18, 2009
Battle Heats Up Over Pennsylvania Tolling, With National Implications
For more than two years, Pennsylvania transportation planners have sought federal permission to make I-80 one of only three interstates in America approved for tolling.
December 18, 2009
Two Dems Propose to End Bush-Era Rule on Transit ‘Cost-Effectiveness’
New Starts, the main federal method for funding big-ticket transit projects, is considered sorely in need of a makeover by many in the capital.
December 17, 2009
House Jobs Bill Answers Some Key Transportation Questions
The House jobs bill, expected to pass later today before the chamber adjourns for the holidays, includes a $75 billion infrastructure section that gives $27.5 billion to roads and $8.4 billion to transit, largely mirroring this year's first economic stimulus law.
December 16, 2009