Recent Streetsblog USA posts about Streetsblog Capitol Hill

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) […]

The Gas Tax: A Trip Back in Legislative Time …

By Elana Schor | Apr 15, 2010 | 10 Comments

As Tax Day prompts a rush of political rallies and media coverage, it’s worth looking back at the history of the federal levy that helps pay for transportation projects: the gas tax. The late Sen. Jesse Helms (R-NC) in 1982, when he battled his own party’s attempts to raise the gas tax. (Photo: TIME) Most […]

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 […]

Two Cities Exploring ‘Innovative Transport Financing’ For New Rail Lines

By Elana Schor | Apr 14, 2010 | No Comments

The House transportation committee is holding a hearing today on "innovative financing" for infrastructure projects — a topic near and dear to lawmakers who continue to hunt for a politically feasible, sustainable strategy for funding a new six-year federal transport bill. Riders in Dallas, where a public-private partnership could be the ticket to a new […]

Gillibrand Offers $1B Plan Backing Up White House on Local Food Outlets

By Elana Schor | Apr 14, 2010 | 8 Comments

Her approval rating on the rise amid a difficult election battle, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) joined the president’s campaign against childhood obesity this week by proposing $1 billion in loans and grants to build healthier neighborhood grocery stores and farmers’ markets. The view from one type of "food desert." (Photo: Springfield Institute) Gillibrand’s legislation, co-sponsored […]

Smart Growth Debate Flaring Anew in Fast-Growing Loudoun County, VA

By Elana Schor | Apr 13, 2010 | 2 Comments

Over the past decade, Virginia’s Loudoun County has frequently ranked among the top 10 fastest-growing in the country — a dubious honor for many local residents, who have watched their local elected officials veer from a full-speed-ahead rush of new development to an emphasis on smart growth and then back again, a dizzying back-and-forth that […]

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