Recent Streetsblog USA posts about Safety

Hesitation and Praise Greet Obama Administration’s Transit Safety Plan

By Elana Schor | Nov 16, 2009 | No Comments

Details of the Obama administration’s proposal to carve out a federal presence overseeing transit safety, first reported yesterday by the Washington Post, have yet to cross the desks of some top lawmakers and industry stakeholders. But reaction to the idea, both positive and hesitant, is plentiful this morning. The D.C. Metro (Photo: WaPo) "Safety is […]

House to Tackle Transit Safety Gaps in December Hearing

By Elana Schor | Nov 13, 2009 | 1 Comment

The debate over setting national standards for transit safety — which the federal government has yet to do — will take center stage at a December 8 hearing of the House transportation committee’s transit panel. The D.C. Metro (Photo: WaPo) The lack of nationwide rules for transit safety has become an acute concern in Washington […]

Report: After MN Collapse, Bridge Repair Got Just 11% of D.C. Earmarks

By Elana Schor | Nov 12, 2009 | No Comments

In the wake of the 2007 collapse of Minnesota’s I-35 bridge, Washington policymakers vowed a renewed focus on repairing the nation’s aging infrastructure. But weeks after the fatal collapse, Congress approved a transportation spending bill with 704 earmarked projects, at a total cost topping $570 million — and just 11 percent of those earmarks went […]

New Report Maps the Gap Between Pedestrian Risks and Federal Safety Aid

By Elana Schor | Nov 9, 2009 | 2 Comments

The top 10 most dangerous cities for pedestrians. (Chart: Dangerous by Design report) If the equivalent of one jumbo jet full of Americans died every month, the resulting public outcry would be deafening. Or would it? Anne Canby, the former Delaware transportation secretary who heads the Surface Transportation Policy Partnership (STPP), raised that question today […]

Distracted Driving Debate Continues in Congress as Consensus Looks Elusive

By Elana Schor | Nov 6, 2009 | 2 Comments

After three public hearings in one week on the increasingly hot-button issue of distracted driving, Congress appears no closer to answering the question of whether a punitive strategy for encouraging state-level action — such as threatening to withhold highway funds — can win sufficient support from conservatives. (Photo: One Penny Sheet) In the House Energy […]

To Limit Distracted Driving, Congress Leans Toward a Carrot-Stick Combo

By Elana Schor | Nov 2, 2009 | 1 Comment

Partisanship is a fact of life in Washington, often slowing down progress on issues from health care to climate change. But when it comes to preventing the use of electronic devices behind the wheel, a congressional consensus is emerging in favor of federal action — even as the extent of GOP support for a punitive […]

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