T4America congratulates Senator Carper on his appointment as chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure subcommittee
Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW), has announced the appointment of Senator Thomas R. Carper (D-DE), as chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure subcommittee. James Corless, director of Transportation for America, issued this statement in response:
T4America applauds President and House tax chair for efforts to fix the transportation funding crisis, as local leaders plead for help
Today President Obama and House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp (R-MI) introduced separate proposals that would prevent the looming insolvency of the nation’s key infrastructure trust fund. President Obama today unveiled a proposal for a four-year, $302 billion transportation bill, with a windfall from business tax reform covering the shortfall in the Highway Trust Fund for that period. Chairman Camp proposed tax reform measures that would include staving off insolvency of the transportation fund for eight years. James Corless, director of Transportation for America, issued this statement in response:
In Hill event, local leaders make case for federal support for transportation needs
Before a packed room on Capitol Hill, local leaders from three very different communities shared one very specific message with a handful of Congressmen and at least four dozen staffers: If Congress doesn’t act to shore up the nation’s transportation fund before it goes insolvent later this year, their cities and communities would bear the brunt of the pain.
Our series on local successes continues: Normal, Illinois
This inspiring story from Normal, Illinois is one that we’ve been following here for quite some time. Normal’s story is the third in our series of these stories that illustrate how local communities across the country are casting a vision for transportation investments and often putting their own skin in the game first with local funding while hoping for a strong federal partner to make those plans a reality. And that’s just what Normal found through the federal TIGER program.
Shining a spotlight on the nation’s strapped transportation fund this Wednesday
It’s not a new story by now: states and local governments stand to lose nearly all access to federal transportation support next year if Congress doesn’t act to shore up the nation’s transportation fund sometime before the end of the summer. So far, we’ve mostly talked about this as a national story, but make no mistake: insolvency would have huge impacts on local communities. To explore the issue in that light, we’re supporting a bipartisan briefing pulled together by two key House members
U.S. DOT Acting Assistant Secretary Beth Osborne joins Transportation for America
Transportation for America is pleased to announce the hiring of Beth Osborne, a key leader in federal policy at the U.S. Department of Transportation, where she served in the office of the Secretary since 2009 as Deputy Assistant Secretary and then Acting Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy.
Denver conference will showcase transportation success – but will others be allowed to emulate it?
Almost 1,000 people heading to Denver, Colorado this week for the annual New Partners for Smart Growth conference will get to see up close what we recently called “a bold bet on an ambitious and comprehensive plan to expand their transportation network a decade ago” in our profile of Denver’s transportation success.
Statement congratulating Senator Baucus on his appointment as the U.S. Ambassador to China
The U.S. Senate Thursday confirmed Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) as U.S. ambassador to China, with Sen. Ron Wyden poised to become the next chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. In response to these developments, Transportation for America Director James Corless issued this statement:
CBO: Highway Trust Fund hole even deeper than expected
New revenue projections for the Highway Trust Fund released this week from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) show that, not only is the nation’s transportation fund going in the red sooner than expected, but the gap to maintain promised funding levels has increased by about $5 billion.
Our op-ed in The Hill today: Helping the feds help the locals to help the economy
Excerpt from op-ed: “If we are going to raise the necessary revenue — and we argue emphatically that we should — we have to be able to articulate a clear and compelling case that the investment will lead to improved long-term economic prosperity. At the same time we need to direct more of the funding and latitude to local communities, rewarding the most innovative projects at the level where voters can best be assured of accountability.”
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