Recent Streetsblog USA posts about Streetsblog Capitol Hill

The Big Trouble With ‘Miles Per Gallon’

By Elana Schor | Jan 14, 2010 | 2 Comments

(Photo: snoweyes via Flickr) Can you answer this riddle? A town maintains a fleet of vehicles for town employee use. It has two types of vehicles. Type A gets 15 miles per gallon. Type B gets 30 miles per gallon. The town has 100 Type A vehicles and 100 Type B vehicles. Each car in […]

Big Transit News: Bush-Era Rule Tossed, Enviro Benefits on the Table

By Elana Schor | Jan 13, 2010 | 6 Comments

Transportation reformers and members of Congress have long clamored for changes to the federal government’s major transit grant program, otherwise known as "New Starts," and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood answered today with an announcement of sweeping changes in the works. LaHood made his announcement today at the Transportation Research Board conference. (Photo: AP) The first […]

Freight Rail Traffic Hit 20-Year Lows in 2009

By Elana Schor | Jan 13, 2010 | 2 Comments

From Warren Buffett’s acquisition of BNSF to the Obama administration’s high-speed rail initiative, the nation is abuzz with talk about a revival of freight trains as an energy-efficient alternative to trucks. (Photo: TSA) But amid the positive forecasts for freight, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) released data today that showed just how bad of […]

State DOTs: We Back National Transport Goals — If We Get to Write Them

By Elana Schor | Jan 13, 2010 | No Comments

Congressional efforts to set national goals for the American transportation system are stalled for now, but the U.S. DOT said today that it is preparing for an eventual transition to a world where performance targets are the norm for transit, roads, bridges, and ports. (Photo: UVA) "National goals should be set by U.S. DOT […]

Bailout Beneficiary Wells Fargo Loses Transit Tax-Shelter Lawsuit

By Elana Schor | Jan 12, 2010 | 1 Comment

The tax tricks known as SILOs — in which major banks snapped up rail cars and other pieces of public infrastructure from cash-strapped localities, only to lease them back and claim a tax write-off — has prompted an outcry from the Hill as Wall Street’s biggest players invoked obscure claims to wring money from local […]

Pelosi: Gas Tax Hike Doesn’t Have Majority Support in Congress

By Elana Schor | Jan 12, 2010 | No Comments

After touring the Detroit Auto Show yesterday with fellow lawmakers, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) took one question yesterday: Why are Democrats not pursuing a federal gas tax hike, given its potential to cut carbon emissions and its support from auto industry players aiming to stoke demand for efficient cars? House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) […]

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