Recent Streetsblog USA posts about Federal Transit Administration

Report: Bush-Era Transit ‘Cost-Effectiveness’ Rule to Cost Charlotte $67M

By Elana Schor | Apr 5, 2010 | No Comments

When the Obama administration moved in January to undo a 2005 rule that made a federal "cost-effectiveness" rating the most important factor in determining which transit projects received funding, critics and even some transit advocates were skeptical, questioning whether the U.S. DOT would be able to legitimately quantify the community-building benefits of rail and bus […]

Could D.C. Become Transit’s New Civil Rights Battleground?

By Elana Schor | Mar 29, 2010 | 7 Comments

A $189 million budget shortfall for next year is forcing some tough choices on Washington D.C.’s local transit authority, which is poised to approve a package of fare increases and service cuts that includes a 35-cent hike for bus trips. One in five of D.C.’s bus commuters lives without a car, compared with one in […]

Bids For Federal Streetcar Aid Top Available Money by Nearly Tenfold

By Elana Schor | Mar 23, 2010 | 2 Comments

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, […]

Oakland’s Stimulus Flap: A Shot Across the Bow for Transport Equity?

By Elana Schor | Jan 27, 2010 | No Comments

The Obama administration’s warning that the Bay Area has jeopardized federal stimulus funding for its Oakland Airport Connector (OAC) project could have national consequences for other urban transit proposals that risk harming low-income riders, civil rights and transit advocates predicted yesterday. The proposed Oakland Airport Connector train. (Photo: BART via Streetsblog SF) Several Bay Area […]

Big Transit News: Bush-Era Rule Tossed, Enviro Benefits on the Table

By Elana Schor | Jan 13, 2010 | 6 Comments

Transportation reformers and members of Congress have long clamored for changes to the federal government’s major transit grant program, otherwise known as "New Starts," and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood answered today with an announcement of sweeping changes in the works. LaHood made his announcement today at the Transportation Research Board conference. (Photo: AP) The first […]

The 2009 Capitol Hill Streetsies: And the Nominees Are …

By Elana Schor | Dec 29, 2009 | 1 Comment

The year-end Streetsie Awards are a time-honored tradition at Streetsblog — check out New York’s first round of honorees, hot off the presses today — and Capitol Hill certainly has provided plenty of material. Without further ado, here are the nominees for Washington’s brightest and bleakest moments of 2009. Winners will be announced on New […]

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