Recent Streetsblog USA posts about U.S. Senate

Lawmakers Push to Fund Transit Service During Economic Emergencies

By Tanya Snyder | Dec 19, 2011 | 2 Comments

In October, Reps. Russ Carnahan (D-MO) and Steve LaTourette (R-OH) introduced a bill to allow transit agencies to use federal money to hire bus drivers and pay other operating expenses. Last week, Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), along with Sens. Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) introduced a Senate companion to the bill [PDF]. Like […]

NJ Senator Lautenberg Introduces Bill to Limit Bridge and Tunnel Tolls

By Tanya Snyder and Ben Fried | Dec 16, 2011 | 5 Comments

Last summer, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey raised EZPass tolls from $8 to cross a bridge into the city during peak hours to $9.50, with planned increases to $12.50 in a few years (cash tolls are increasing somewhat more). Tolls for five-axle trucks will rise as high as $125. The hikes […]

Congress Puts Off Key Decisions on Transpo Bill and Transit Tax Benefit

By Tanya Snyder | Dec 15, 2011 | No Comments

The website didn’t lie: Apparently there really are no markups scheduled on the Senate Banking Committee’s calendar. Committee Chair Tim Johnson had told Politico that the committee would vote out the transit portion of the MAP-21 transportation bill on Friday, but yesterday, he recanted, telling the same reporters that “something came up.” Johnson said they’ll try […]

Senate Commerce Committee Sets the Standard For Transpo Performance

By Tanya Snyder | Dec 14, 2011 | No Comments

The EPW Committee passed the highway portion of the transportation bill last month. The Banking Committee will tackle transit on Friday. And today, transportation reformers applauded as the Commerce Committee passed its bill dealing with the rail and safety component, including the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Deron Lovaas of NRDC said in his blog post about the […]

Senators to Committee: Protect Transit Benefits Before It’s Too Late

By Ben Goldman | Dec 14, 2011 | 2 Comments

Around this time last year, Congress had a decision to make: Extend the transit tax benefit for commuters at its post-stimulus rate of $230 — the same as the parking benefit for drivers — or relegate transit riders to second class citizenship once again. Last year, Congress made the right choice and maintained parity between […]

Senate Banking Committee to Vote on Transit Section of Transpo Bill Friday

By Tanya Snyder | Dec 13, 2011 | No Comments

If the Banking Committee is going to make any progress on the transit section of the Senate transportation bill, it’s going to have to happen before this weekend, when Congress leaves for the holiday recess and doesn’t come back till late January. Indeed, on Friday, the very last day of the session, Banking is planning […]

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