Elana Schor
Recent Posts
Bids For Federal Streetcar Aid Top Available Money by Nearly Tenfold
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After announcing $130 million in new streetcar grants in December, the Obama administration received more than $1.1 billion in applications, Federal Transit Administration (FTA) chief Peter Rogoff told lawmakers today — offering more evidence of the growing local enthusiasm for competitive transportation funding that began with the stimulus law’s TIGER grant program. New Orleans, above, […]
Transit Operating Aid Bill Doesn’t Fly With Major D.C. Transit Group
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A burgeoning congressional push to let urban transit agencies tap federal funds for operating their systems is not sitting well with the transit industry’s largest D.C. lobbying group, the American Public Transportation Association (APTA). A rail car from New York City’s transit authority, one of APTA’s biggest members. (Photo: TreeHugger) Paul Dean, APTA’s government relations […]
Today’s Headlines
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22 senators, several from industrial states, call for a vote this year on climate legislation (Wash. Indy) LaHood issues a call for proposals on how to fund the nation’s long-term transport needs (DOT Blog) Total U.S. vehicle miles traveled fell in January, economic recovery aside (Calculated Risk via @ryanavent) D.C. heeding Blumenauer’s call for downtown […]
House GOP Yanks Transportation Earmark Requests — For How Long?
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When House Republicans voted recently to renounce all earmarks for this year, the move appeared to one-up Democrats’ pledge to forgo earmarks to for-profit entities in 2010 — a vow that would not extend to transportation projects. Rep. Steven LaTourette (R-OH) (Photo: Cleveland.com) In fact, the congressional newspaper Roll Call reported today that GOP members […]
Senate Health Bill Approved: What it Means for Transportation
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After 14 months of drama, deal-making, and declarations of its demise, the health care legislation envisioned by President Obama and congressional Democrats finally cleared its biggest hurdle last night, with the House approving the Senate-passed measure on a 219-212 vote. Safe Routes to School programs, such as this one, could see a boost from the […]
Inhofe: California is Dictating to Feds on Auto Fuel Efficiency
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The senior Republican on the Senate environment panel has criticized the House transportation bill for strengthening federal involvement at the expense of states — but when it comes to last year’s agreement to raise national fuel-efficiency standards, Sen. Jim Inhofe (OK) is making the opposite argument, accusing the White House of letting one state dictate […]
Today’s Headlines
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Philly’s biggest newspaper urges LaHood to approve the state’s bid to toll I-80 (Inquirer) A profile of Detroit’s nascent urban farming effort (Free Press) Nebraska Sen. Ben Nelson (D) to hold state "transportation summit" this month (AP) Houston mayor says Obama administration is pushing her to get the local transit authority’s act together to ensure […]
Transit Industry Group Adds a Caveat to Its Stance on Operating Aid
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The American Public Transportation Association (APTA), which has represented the transit industry in Washington for more than 120 years, has openly welcomed the year-long push for Congress to relax longstanding rules that prevent large urban agencies to spend federal grant money on their operating costs. Rep. Russ Carnahan (D-MO) (Photo: AAAS) APTA president William Millar […]
Transport Fix to Jobs Bill Would Take $192M From CA, Send $76M to TX
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House transport panel chairman Jim Oberstar’s (D-MN) state would lose an estimated $9.5 million under the fix. (Photo: Jonathan Maus) Fixing a disputed provision in the jobs bill that President Obama signed into law yesterday — as Senate Democratic leaders promised House transportation committee chairman Jim Oberstar (D-MN) following complaints by several members of his […]
Today’s Headlines
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LaHood roasted with Toyota jokes at off-the-record dinner, featuring tributes from the president and White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel (The Hill) Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) makes it clear that she’s on board with L.A. Mayor Villaraigosa’s increasinly popular "30/10" transit plan (LAist) As Obama signs a $20 billion highway trust fund infusion into […]
Inhofe Questions Transit and Bike-Ped Investments in House Transport Bill
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The senior Republican on the Senate environment panel today criticized the House’s six-year transportation bill, lamenting that the measure "focus[es] very heavily on transit, bike paths, and sidewalks" and carves out a strong federal role in "decisions historically left to the state level." Inhofe’s concerns, raised at the latest in the environment committee’s series of […]
McCaskill Asks LaHood to ‘Put an End to’ Transportation Earmarks
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When House leaders agreed last week to ban earmarks to for-profit entities, tax and transportation projects got a notable exemption. But that doesn’t mean Congress has no appetite to curb transport earmarks, as Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) showed in a letter sent this week to U.S. DOT chief Ray LaHood. Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) (Photo: […]