LaHood, Biden Meet With Governors on High-Speed Rail
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and Vice President Biden met at the White House this afternoon with officials from 20 states in contention for funding as part of the Obama administration's high-speed rail program.
June 3, 2009
Cycling in National Cemetery: Yea or Nay?
Local D.C. issues aren't the stock in trade of Streetsblog Capitol Hill, but the Washington Post lately has been refereeing a debate that resonates on the national level: Is Arlington National Cemetery inhospitable to cyclists?
June 2, 2009
Bush Transpo Secretary’s Biggest Disappointment: Bush
DC Velocity magazine has just released a lengthy interview with Norman Mineta, the Bush-era transportation secretary and former Democratic member of Congress.
June 2, 2009
Obama’s Highways Chief: Wishy-Washy on Emissions?
Victor Mendez, nominated by the White House to lead the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), spent more than an hour this morning with the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee -- but the most illuminating moment in the hearing came as the clock was running down.
June 2, 2009
Solve the Congestion Crisis And Win $50,000
Have you ever idled in traffic or waited for a late bus while thinking: "The city government should put me in charge of fixing this mess"?
June 1, 2009
Polly Trottenberg Tapped For Senior U.S. DOT Spot
It's a happy Friday for transportation wonks: the White House has nominated Polly Trottenberg, executive director of Building America's Future, as assistant secretary for policy at the federal DOT.
May 29, 2009
Sotomayor’s Eminent Domain Stance: What Does It Mean for Cities?
Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor is dominating the conversation in Washington as analysts begin to dig into her past rulings. And while she has yet to weigh in on abortion, the judge has spoken loud and clear on an issue of interest to livable streets advocates: eminent domain.
May 29, 2009
Obama Keeps Roads Out of National Forests — For a Time
Paved roads are a fact of life in most of the country, but should they be permitted in the nation's protected forest areas? The Obama administration says no, as Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack affirmed today in a directive that prohibits road construction in nearly 50 million acres of forest land.
May 28, 2009
Flashback: Obama Once Led Push for ‘Complete Streets’
With Congress out of town on its Memorial Day break, the nation's capital is a quiet place to be -- but all of that will change next week, as the appearance of the House transportation bill is expected to kick off an intense battle to reshape federal policy on transit, bikes, roads and bridges.
May 28, 2009
Why Buy More Trains If You Can’t Afford to Run Them?
Down in balmy South Florida, D-Day is approaching for riders of the the popular Tri-Rail transit system. A looming $18 million shortfall has forced the Tri-Rail board to approve a budget that slices daily service and stops all trains by 2011 -- although ridership has doubled since 2005.
May 27, 2009