Ben Goldman
Recent Posts
With a Big Crowd and Bipartisan Support, Bike Summit Gets Rolling
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The League of American Bicyclists welcomed a record crowd to the 2012 National Bike Summit this morning. Over 800 attendees filled the basement of the Grand Hyatt Metro Center in Washington to hear remarks from federal lawmakers and officials about the state of bike advocacy in America — so large a crowd that president Andy Clarke […]
House Working on Transpo Extension, Buying Time for Backwards Bill
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It looks like everyone who bet on “extension” can collect their winnings. As expected, the House will not vote on the Senate’s transportation bill before the current transportation law expires on March 31, opting instead to buy more time with a stopgap measure. They will likely use that time to try whip up support for […]
Infographic: When Reagan, the GOP, and Democrats Doubled the Gas Tax
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Something to keep in mind while the House GOP leadership toys with the idea of sending national transportation policy back to the 1950s…
This Week: Road Builders and Bike Advocates Convene in the Capital
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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. First, the League of American Bicyclists kicks off […]
For House GOP, Safer Streets Are the New “Bridge to Nowhere”
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Funding to make biking and walking safer has taken something of a beating in both the House and Senate transportation bills. The fate of the most significant federal bike-ped programs — Safe Routes to School, Transportation Enhancements, and Recreational Trails — is still very much in doubt. Under the Senate bill, passed Wednesday, local agencies would at […]
Compare the Senate and House Transpo Bills, Side-By-Side
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Now that the Senate has passed a transportation bill and everyone’s waiting to see what the House will do next, Transportation for America has done us all a great service and compared the Senate’s bill to the House’s — well, to the last thing the House showed us before things fell apart for John Boehner’s […]
Accolades Pour In for Senate Transpo Bill From All Quarters
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Praise for the Senate transportation bill and its bipartisan passage is pouring in to the inboxes of Congressional transportation reporters this afternoon. Here’s the statement from the traditionally pro-highway U.S. Chamber of Commerce… Passage of MAP-21 is a long-awaited victory for the business community and the American people… The Chamber commends the chairs and ranking […]
Senate Passes Two-Year Transportation Bill, 74-22; All Eyes on House
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The Senate transportation bill has finally passed by a vote of 74 to 22. In a show of bipartisan support, which this bill has largely enjoyed from start to finish, 22 Republicans voted for its passage. The bill, which would support $109 billion worth of federal transportation programs over two years if enacted — a […]
After 30 Years of Federal Support for Transit, Battle Lines are Redrawn
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Add Federal Transit Administrator Peter Rogoff to the list of people saying that it’s premature to declare victory over the House’s attempts to cast transit into the abyss. Rogoff knows a thing or two about transportation bills: He was an aide on the Senate Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee for 20 years, during which time the federal […]
LaHood to House: “Get on the Bus” With a Bipartisan Transportation Bill
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This morning, at the American Public Transportation Association’s annual legislative conference, Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood said he was recently asked by the House Appropriations Committee if he prefers a two-year transportation bill or a five-year transportation bill. Neither, he said: “I prefer a bipartisan bill.” “Bipartisanship is the reason the Senate bill is a […]
Trio of Experts Urge Passage of Bipartisan Transportation Bill
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The Senate is finally making progress towards passing their two-year transportation bill, but the big question seems to be what’s to come in the House — and not even the House knows. The uncertainty surrounding the House bill, and the threat it poses to the entire reauthorization process, has elicited an impassioned response from representatives […]
Day One of Votes: Senate OKs Two Amendments, Rejects Keystone Pipeline
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After two consecutive failed attempts, floor votes are finally proceeding on the Senate’s two-year, $109 billion transportation bill. The votes come on the heels of an agreement between party leaders Harry Reid and Mitch McConnell, which will allow certain non-transportation-related amendments to be voted on. As part of the deal, those amendments will require 60 […]