Recent Streetsblog LA posts about Federal Transportation Bill

BRU Joins National Effort to Raise Federal Funds for Transit Operations

By Damien Newton | Jul 22, 2009 | 27 Comments

For more images from today’s efforts by the BRU, visit the LA Streetsblog Flickr Page The Bus Rider’s Union gathered signatures outside of the Wilshire-Western Subway stop this morning, joining advocates around the country in building support for Federal Legislation H.R. 2746, which would allow transit agencies to spend more of their federal funds on […]

Senate Agrees on $26.8 Billion Highway Trust Fund Rescue

By Elana Schor | Jul 21, 2009 | No Comments

The Senate took a major step forward last night in its battle with the House over transportation funding, releasing a plan to give $26.8 billion to the dwindling highway trust fund and — perhaps most importantly, for the long term — to restore the fund’s ability to keep the interest it earns. Senate Finance Committee […]

Lawmakers Cross Party Lines on Transpo Funding as Debate Rages

By Elana Schor | Jul 15, 2009 | 1 Comment

An 18-month extension of existing transportation law cleared the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee today, but not before spirited debate on a proposal billed as a compromise with House members who remain strongly opposed to the Senate’s stopgap. Barbara Boxer (D-CA), chairman of theSenate environment committee (Photo: Politics Now) The "clean" re-upping of the […]

Did Pelosi Just Side with Oberstar on Transportation Bill?

By Elana Schor | Jul 9, 2009 | No Comments

That’s the implication of a Roll Call story today that states: "Momentum Builds for Transportation Bill." Here’s how the exchange in question played out at House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) weekly briefing. Pelosi was asked for her position on a possible second stimulus bill, and she replied: I am committed to the first stimulus. I […]

House GOPers Propose Filling Trust Fund With Stimulus Money

By Elana Schor | Jun 19, 2009 | No Comments

As their committee’s leaders butted heads with the Obama administration, a group of Republicans on the House transportation panel proposed to fill the $7 billion hole in the nation’s highway trust fund with unobligated money from the economic stimulus law. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL) (Photo: SW Broward GOP) The bill, offered yesterday by Rep. Mario […]

Back to the Grid: John Norquist on How to Fix National Transpo Policy

By Ben Fried | Mar 26, 2009 | 2 Comments

The news coming out of Washington last week jacked up expectations for national transportation policy to new heights. Cabinet members Ray LaHood and Shaun Donovan announced a partnership to connect transportation and housing policy, branded as the "Sustainable Communities Initiative." The second-in-command at DOT, Vice Admiral Thomas Barrett, told a New York audience that "building […]