Recent Streetsblog USA posts about Safety

House & Senate Taking Unified Approach to Post-Toyota Auto Safety Bill

By Elana Schor | Apr 27, 2010 | No Comments

The two congressional chairmen with primary jurisdiction over auto safety today vowed to work together on new legislation aimed at staving off a repeat of the debacle facing Toyota, which was recently fined $16 million for failing to promptly inform federal regulators of defects in its cars that sparked millions of recalls. Senate Commerce Committee […]

Transit Industry Asks Congress to Quadruple Annual Security Funding

By Elana Schor | Apr 21, 2010 | 2 Comments

The American Public Transportation Association (APTA), the D.C. lobbying arm for much of the transit industry, today asked the House committee in charge of homeland security spending for $1.1 billion next year to beef up rail and bus security, a four-fold increase over the level that Congress approved for 2010. APTA president William Millar told […]

Obama Aide Defends Transit Safety Plan as Different from Rail Rules

By Elana Schor | Apr 21, 2010 | No Comments

Federal Transit Administration (FTA) chief Peter Rogoff today mounted a defense of the White House’s transit safety plan, assuring some skeptical members of Congress that he does not want to "replicate" inter-city rail safety rules that have taken flak for impeding the development of viable U.S. train networks. As of last year, D.C.’s Metro had […]

Senate GOP Continues to Resist Sanctions-Based Distracted Driving Rules

By Elana Schor | Apr 15, 2010 | 6 Comments

The Senate environment committee’s senior Republican yesterday joined his counterpart on the commerce panel in criticizing legislation that would withhold federal highway funding from states that fail to crack down on distracted driving, casting doubt on Congress’ ability to approve any punitive approach to reining in texting and cell phone use by drivers. (Photo: SCnow.com) […]

Feds Stepping Up Enforcement of Distracted Driving Laws in Two Cities

By Elana Schor | Apr 8, 2010 | 1 Comment

The Obama administration today launched what it describes as the first federal push for increased enforcement of distracted driving laws, funding local police crackdowns in two northeastern cities aimed at drivers using hand-held cell phones. (Photo: Girl’s First Car) The law enforcement boost, which begins today in Hartford, Connecticut, and on Saturday in Syracuse, New […]

House and Senate Split on Approach to Obama’s Transit Safety Plan

By Elana Schor | Mar 16, 2010 | 2 Comments

After a year marked by discord between the House and Senate over the timing of the next federal transportation bill, another split emerged yesterday over the timetable for taking up the Obama administration’s plan for federal involvement in transit safety oversight. Rep. John Mica (R-FL) opposes the White House safety plan, but he also wants […]

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