Recent Streetsblog USA posts about Transit Operating Costs

Transit Operating Aid Bill Doesn’t Fly With Major D.C. Transit Group

By Elana Schor | Mar 23, 2010 | 8 Comments

A burgeoning congressional push to let urban transit agencies tap federal funds for operating their systems is not sitting well with the transit industry’s largest D.C. lobbying group, the American Public Transportation Association (APTA). A rail car from New York City’s transit authority, one of APTA’s biggest members. (Photo: TreeHugger) Paul Dean, APTA’s government relations […]

Transit Industry Group Adds a Caveat to Its Stance on Operating Aid

By Elana Schor | Mar 19, 2010 | No Comments

The American Public Transportation Association (APTA), which has represented the transit industry in Washington for more than 120 years, has openly welcomed the year-long push for Congress to relax longstanding rules that prevent large urban agencies to spend federal grant money on their operating costs. Rep. Russ Carnahan (D-MO) (Photo: AAAS) APTA president William Millar […]

Brown Offers Senate Plan For More Federal Operating Aid to Local Transit

By Elana Schor | Mar 16, 2010 | 7 Comments

Local transit officials seeking more federal operating aid during lean budgetary times got a new ally today in Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), who introduced legislation in Congress’ upper chamber to give rail and bus agencies more flexibility to spend funding from Washington on averting service cuts and layoffs. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) (Photo: Partnership for […]

‘Cash for Clunkers’ Backer Sutton Steps it Up for Ohio Transit

By Elana Schor | Dec 11, 2009 | 1 Comment

Rep. Betty Sutton (D-OH) was one of the prime movers behind the economically and environmentally misguided "cash for clunkers" program, but she is switching gears to help save transit in Lorain County, Ohio, where bus service could be canceled in 2010 after voters rejected a sales tax increase to raise operating funds. Rep. Betty Sutton […]

A Last Word on ‘Cash for Clunkers’

By Ryan Avent | Sep 2, 2009 | 1 Comment

One thing the government’s CARS program — a.k.a. "cash for clunkers" — has clearly stimulated is commentary. For a policy involving a shade under $3 billion in federal spending, it has enjoyed no shortage of media coverage. (Photo: Newsday) In part this is because the program looks like a big success, and certainly congressional leaders […]

How to Judge “Cash for Clunkers”

By Ryan Avent | Aug 4, 2009 | 4 Comments

(Photo: NYT) At this point, it’s difficult to know exactly what the government’s "cash for clunkers" program is supposed to accomplish. Claims about its economic and environmental benefits are increasingly detached from reality, and the chief advantage of the program would seem to be that it "worked," in the sense that it was popular among […]

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