Recent Streetsblog USA posts about Streetsblog Capitol Hill

Could Rail be the Sleeper Issue in the Connecticut Senate Race?

By Elana Schor | Jan 8, 2010 | 2 Comments

After Sen. Chris Dodd’s (D-CT) retirement propelled popular Attorney General Richard Blumenthal into Connecticut’s 2010 Senate race, ex-Rep. Rob Simmons (R-CT) now faces a more difficult bid — one described by his own pollster as a "war of attrition." So it’s worth asking what role the state’s lengthy transportation to-do list will play in the […]

Democratic Lawmaker Blasts Salazar For Calling Big Oil ‘Kings of the World’

By Elana Schor | Jan 7, 2010 | No Comments

When Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced yesterday that his department would conduct stricter environmental reviews before leasing federal land to oil and gas producers, he added a comment that few in the Democratic party might contest: Rep. Dan Boren (D-OK) (Photo: NewsGroper) In the prior administration the oil and gas industry were the kings of […]

Transport Economist Challenges Claim That ‘VMT Causes Growth’

By Elana Schor | Jan 7, 2010 | 4 Comments

The claim to a link between economic growth and vehicle mileage — that, in other words, auto travel is essential to keeping U.S. productivity high — remains controversial and much-debated in transportation policy circles. One notable recent flare-up in that debate took place on National Journal’s blog after road lobbyist Greg Cohen, referring to an […]

The U.S. Transportation Financing Crisis: A Snapshot From the States

By Elana Schor | Jan 7, 2010 | No Comments

Washington transportation policymaking can often resemble an unwieldy soup of anywhere between 50 and 535 local perspectives, as lawmakers from different states and districts vie for a fixed (or even shrinking) amount of federal funding. Congress isn’t eager to raise fuel taxes to pay for transportation — but what about the states? (Photo: Pop and […]

New Report Finds American Auto Fleet Shrinking

By Elana Schor | Jan 6, 2010 | 3 Comments

Could the nation be turning away from its decades-old yen for auto ownership? Americans got rid of more cars than they retained in 2009, reversing a trend that saw total U.S. vehicles exceed the number of drivers more than 35 years ago, according to a report released today by the Earth Policy Institute (EPI). (Chart: […]

Biden’s Homage to Amtrak

By Elana Schor | Jan 6, 2010 | No Comments

The nation’s Amtrak rider-in-chief, Vice President Joseph Biden, has penned an op-ed for the rail network’s monthly magazine entitled "Why America Needs Trains." The Vice President and his wife share a tender moment — on the Acela. (Photo: NYT) Biden doesn’t get too political in the piece, eschewing calls for more Amtrak funding in favor […]

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