2009 Transportation Bill
Streetsblog Basics
Obama Calls For ‘More Creative’ Ways to Pay For Infrastructure
At a meeting today with his outside economic recovery advisers, President Obama emphasized the importance of shoring up the nation's crumbling infrastructure but warned that the mounting federal deficit would require "more creative, new approaches to financing" investment in transit, bridges, and road repairs.
November 2, 2009
Transportation Policy Becomes the Proverbial Tree Falling in the Forest
Halfway through this afternoon's rally in support of a new federal transportation bill, there came an accidental but telling moment. A group of tourists, attracted by the hundreds of orange flags planted in the National Mall for the rally, walked through the event and whispered questions to attendees about its purpose. Once their curiosity was sated, the group lost interest and ambled away.
October 28, 2009
Transport Policy Update: Senate to Pass 6-Month Extension This Week
Before week's end, the Senate will pass a six-month extension of the nation's four-year-old transportation law -- setting the stage for another showdown with the House, where transportation committee chairman Jim Oberstar remains on the fence about abandoning the push for a new long-term bill before 2010.
October 27, 2009
Rep. Earl Blumenauer: Announcing the Livable Communities Task Force
Editor's note: Today we have a guest post from Democratic Rep. Earl Blumenauer, who has
represented Oregon's 3rd Congressional District since 1996. He is the
lead sponsor of the House's "CLEAN TEA" climate legislation and founded the Congressional Bicycle Caucus.
October 19, 2009
Transport Debate Still Stalled As Oberstar Decries “Lack of Political Will”
Halfway through the extra month that Congress gave itself to resolve a long-simmering dispute over funding the nation's transportation system, Democratic leaders remain deadlocked over whether -- and how long -- to wait before debating a broad reform of federal infrastructure policy.
October 16, 2009
Obama Ally Breaks With White House on Timing of New Transport Bill
Sen. Dick Durbin (IL), the No. 2 Democratic leader in the upper chamber of Congress and a close ally of the president, broke with the White House Monday and called for a new long-term transportation bill to pass by early next year -- not after the Obama administration's preferred 18-month delay.
October 14, 2009
Bush DOT Chief Backs Transport Tech Funding
Former Transportation Secretary Mary Peters, who served for eight years in George W. Bush's DOT, sat down with Streetsblog Capitol Hill this week to urge that Congress add a dedicated funding stream of $1 billion each year for transportation technology to the next long-term infrastructure bill.
October 9, 2009
Congress’ Transport Impasse Hits States — and Not Just Their Road Funds
When lawmakers failed on Wednesday to reach a deal on avoiding the cancellation of $8.7 billion in transportation spending authority, the consequences of Congress' inaction weren't immediately palpable to most voters -- but the loss is sinking in on the local level.
October 5, 2009
Deja Vu: Congress Could Put Off Deal on Transport Bill Until Next Month
After a day of twists and turns, the House yesterday approved a three-month extension of the current law that governs spending on the nation's transit, bridges, and roads. Yet the 335-85 vote obscures an ongoing clash between the House and Senate that could extend into a fourth straight month.
September 24, 2009
House Voting Today on Transport Law Extension — Or Not?
(ed. note: This post has been updated to reflect late-breaking news as of Wednesday afternoon.)
September 23, 2009