California Supreme Court hands victory to local transit riders and providers
A recent California Supreme Court decision could restore billions in funding for public transportation in the nation’s most populous state. The Court’s ruling late last week upheld a lower court decision declaring the state’s $3.6 billion raid of public transit funds illegal and ordered that the money be returned to local transit providers.
FAQ: What are rescissions? Will my state lose transportation money?
Last week we explained the details surrounding the expiration of the transportation bill on Wednesday night and the one-month extension that was passed. Due in part to the failure of a bipartisan plan to shift some revenue to satisfy House budget rules, the states are also losing a total of $8.7 billion in transportation spending, known by the unmistakably Washington-transportation-insider term of a “rescission.” Here’s our attempt to simplify that issue just a little bit for those who are interested in the policy details. Non-wonks, feel free to skip over this one. Just a fair warning! Click through the jump to read in its entirety.
FAQ: Transportation bill expires, emergency extension passed
As you may have read on Streetsblog Capitol Hill, the Senate passed a stopgap one-month extension of the current law last night. There have been a lot of questions flying around today, so we’re going to try to post a handful with some simplified answers when possible to clear up any confusion. The short explanation? The Senate failed to pass an extension of their own to match the House’s 3-month extension before the transportation bill expired last night. Instead, they passed an emergency one-month extension.
Streetsblog wants your eyes on the street
From our partners at the Streetsblog Network, we wanted to pass along a cool request. The Streetsblog Network, the hub for bloggers across the country writing about sustainable transportation and livable streets issues, is on a quest for pictures from all four corners of the country. The deadline for this series of photos is next Tuesday, so take advantage of the (hopefully great!) weather where you are this weekend and get some great new photos. Here’s the announcement from Network editor Sarah Goodyear.
USA Today article cites new data showing drop in auto commuting
A yearly census survey released Monday illustrates the continuation of a trend that started well before the recession: Americans are taking steps to reduce their dependence on cars, and are looking for other options for getting around. Rates of solo driving and car ownership are dropping, according to this story in the USA Today about […]
Using some creativity to get around in Atlanta today
You’ve likely seen the news coverage out of Atlanta yesterday and today, where torrential rainfalls over the last week resulted in massive flooding in Atlanta and surrounding counties. A couple of enterprising folks made the best of the disastrous situation, finding another mode of transportation for getting around. This is the Krog Tunnel that runs […]
Tell Congress to make a historic investment in high speed rail
Congress is heading towards a decisive, historic moment on investing in high speed rail for America. But the outcome is far from certain. In the next few weeks, Congress will decide whether or not to give the Department of Transportation $1.2 billion or $4 billion on high speed rail for the next year. $8 billion was allocated for planning and implementing clean, efficient, high speed train travel in the economic stimulus earlier this year, and with another $4 billion, we’d be making a historic $12 billion investment in high speed rail.Tell Congress to keep $4 billion in the bill at www.fourbillion.com
PBS Blueprint America looks at freight, rail, and trucks
PBS continued their excellent Blueprint America series with an episode on NOW last Friday night examining the issue of freight movement in America. Watch it below or over at the terrific Blueprint America site.
What’s the impact of the Highway Trust Fund patch or an extension of the current bill?
With the House passing a $7 billion patch for the Highway Trust Fund yesterday afternoon to keep it from running out of money before September, we thought it might be useful to post a brief Q&A about the trust fund patch and how the full six-year transportation authorization bill could be affected. The $7 billion patch moves to the Senate for a vote, probably this afternoon, before reaching President Obama’s desk.
Cellphones and texting pose great risks behind the wheel
Last week, the New York Times covered the news that the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration decided in 2003 not to release preliminary data showing that talking on cellphones while driving — whether using a hands-free device or not — posed a safety risk nearly equivalent to drunk driving. Researchers at the NHTSA were pushing for a more extensive research program to follow their preliminary research, but due to what the Times cited as “political considerations,” not only was the extra study and research not ordered, but the existing findings were essentially buried.
It’s past time to elevate the national conversation about infrastructure beyond just the price tag. Learn more about T4America's three simple principles for federal transportation investment.
Read our new principles