Recent Streetsblog USA posts about U.S. DOT

Dem and GOP Senators Seek More Long-Term Rail Vision From Obama Aides

By Elana Schor | Apr 29, 2010 | 1 Comment

The senior Democratic and Republican senators in charge of setting annual transportation spending levels today urged the leader of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to develop a more comprehensive plan for using the White House’s high-speed rail program to spur the development of viable U.S. train networks. FRA chief Joseph Szabo (l.) and Amtrak CEO […]

U.S. DOT Releases Rules for ‘TIGER II’ Grants, Bringing HUD on Board

By Elana Schor | Apr 26, 2010 | 3 Comments

The U.S. DOT today released its first round of guidance for the so-called "TIGER II" program, a $600 million pot of competitive transportation grants considered a quasi-sequel to the popular $1.5 billion merit-based fund included in last year’s stimulus law. A ribbon-cutting in Dubuque, Iowa, where a broad revamping of downtown development won TIGER grant […]

Congress Approves Repayment for U.S. DOT Workers Furloughed by Bunning

By Elana Schor | Apr 16, 2010 | No Comments

After a six-week delay, Congress last night agreed to repay U.S. DOT employees for the two days of work they missed when Sen. Jim Bunning (R-KY) filibustered an extension of the 2005 transportation law, forcing a temporary shutdown of much of the federal agency’s business. Sen. Jim Bunning (R-KY) (Photo: CNN) The repayment language was […]

Feds’ Record on Transport Public-Private Partnerships Prompts Skepticism

By Elana Schor | Apr 14, 2010 | 2 Comments

When it comes to creative transportation financing in an age of rising red ink, public-private partnerships (PPPs) are one of the most popular ideas on the table in Washington. Rail planners in Denver and Dallas are exploring the strategy to speed progress on new lines, and the White House’s proposed $4 billion infrastructure fund could […]

Coming Soon to Popular Transport Stimulus Programs: Local Funding

By Elana Schor | Apr 7, 2010 | 6 Comments

Two of the most popular transportation programs in the Obama administration’s stimulus law, the $1.5 billion in competitive grants known as TIGER and the $8 billion high-speed rail initiative, had an added feature that made them even more attractive to cities and states: the federal funding awards would not require a local match. Amtrak’s Empire […]

Pennsylvania’s Bid to Toll I-80 Rejected by Feds

By Elana Schor | Apr 6, 2010 | 5 Comments

Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell (D) has scheduled a press conference this afternoon to discuss his pitch for new tolls on Interstate 80, but local media reports are already suggesting that his news is not good: the federal government has rejected the state’s bid to toll the highway, leaving its transportation budget short at least $450 […]

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