Author Archive
South Dakota Senator Tim Johnson stresses rural transit needs as gas prices continue to escalate
Gas prices in the U.S. continue to escalate and could hit $4.25 by Memorial Day, according to some projections. These spikes tend to hit smaller communities and rural areas particularly hard, as residents and businesses must travel farther and use more energy during daily activities. Senator Tim Johnson, a Democrat from South Dakota, has pledged to use his clout on the Banking Committee to fund rural transit systems in the next transportation bill.
New York Times: High-speed rail deserves continued support
Originally uploaded by pgengler to Flickr. The New York Times resolutely defended high-speed rail in an editorial this morning, characterizing the elimination of remaining funds for the program this fiscal year as “harebrained.” The budget deal reached by the White House and Congress zeroed-out the $1 billion allocated for high-speed rail in fiscal year 2011 […]
Government audit confirms that TIGER, rail grants followed merit-based process, despite GOP complaints
Although a Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that the Obama administration set and followed a merit based decision-making process for awarding high-speed rail and TIGER grants, several Republican lawmakers claimed the report revealed a lack of transparency and accountability for where the money went. “Although we can develop cost-effective high-speed rail transportation in this country, […]
Government shutdown averted in last-minute budget deal, with some cuts to transportation
Down-to-the-wire negotiations late last night between President Obama, House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid resulted in a budget deal containing about $38 billion in reductions from current spending levels and the prevention of a government shutdown. The High Speed and Intercity Passenger Rail program will receive $1 billion, a reduction of $1.5 billion from the previous year, and the New Starts program — a key revenue source for transit projects throughout the country — loses $280 million, though the figure is reportedly sufficient to fund projects that have already received grants from USDOT.
Long Island Bus spared from drastic cuts — for the time being
A month ago, we noted that the Long Island Bus system in New York’s Nassau County was slated to cut service in half without a funding deal between state and local officials. Fortunately for the 33 million annual riders on the LI Bus, the New York State Senate on Friday announced an $8.6 million cash infusion to prevent these cuts.
T4 America co-chair John Robert Smith tells key House subcommittee to repair infrastructure and invest in transit options
T4 America co-chair John Robert Smith encouraged members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to enact “bold new policy” to repair our nation’s crumbling infrastructure, increase transit options and demand accountability for results, in testimony delivered on Capitol Hill today. Smith, the former 16-year Republican mayor of Meridian, Mississippi and President and CEO of […]
New report highlights mounting challenge of aging bridges
One in nine of the bridges and overpasses American drivers cross each day is rated in poor enough condition that they could become dangerous or be closed without near-term repair, according to a report released today by Transportation for America. Nearly 70,000 bridges nationwide are rated “structurally deficient” and are in need of substantial repair or replacement, according to federal data. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) estimates that the backlog of potentially dangerous bridges would cost $70.9 billion to eliminate, while the federal outlay for bridges amounts to slightly more than $5 billion per year.
Kerry-Hutchison-Warner infrastructure bank would leverage private investment for revenue-generating projects
Last week, a bipartisan group of U.S. Senators introduced a bill to create a variation of the national infrastructure bank touted by President Obama. The BUILD Act is sponsored by Senator John Kerry, the 2004 Democratic presidential nominee from Massachusetts, as well as Texas Republican Kay Bailey Hutchison and Virginia Democrat Mark Warner, a former governor with a history of prioritizing transportation infrastructure.
Oregon Senator Ron Wyden wants to relaunch popular Build America Bonds program
The Build America Bonds program, a popular infrastructure investment initiative in the 2009 Recovery Act, did not make it into the bipartisan tax deal struck by President Obama and Congressional Republicans late last year. But Senator Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat, is now attempting a rebrand and relaunch.
West Virginia’s Nick Rahall says we have a “great deficit in infrastructure,” warns against deep budget cuts
Saying we have a “great deficit in infrastructure in this country,” the top Democrat on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee warned this week that ill-considered cuts to domestic spending would hinder the economy recovery and put important projects at risk. Nick Rahall, who represents West Virginia’s Third Congressional District in the state’s southern corner, […]
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