Top stories on TN: WMFE asked John Mica’s constituents what they think of his House transportation bill. They don’t know it exists. (Link) These two charts show the average U.S. driver is emitting less CO2, but still driving a lot. (Link) Though a little less. (Link) All the airlines raised fares last week, passing on gas…
Top stories on TN: “We have one of the strongest passenger rail programs in the history of transportation,” Ray LaHood tells The Takeaway. Plus, there’ money to pay for improvements he says. (Link) The transit tax break has been buried deep in partisan fighting in Congress. It could, maybe, still get extended. (Link) Sketch comedy show Portlandia…
U.S. DOT head Ray LaHood talked about the deadlocked transportation bill on The Takeaway. San Francisco is equipping its entire bus fleet with cameras so they can photograph cars parked in transit-only lanes. Nevada is becoming the first state to create a licensing system for self-driving cars. And: take a seat — please. NYC is selling its old wooden subway benches for $650 each.
Ray LaHood says President Obama’s transportation spending plan is necessary, because “America is one big pothole right now.” Boston’s transit advisory board is proposing a 25 percent, across-the-board fare hike as an alternative to steep service cuts. TN’s Todd Zwillich breaks down the stalled transportation legislation for Takeaway listeners. And: just how dreamy is Boeing’s new Dreamliner?
New York has asked the federal government for a $2 billion loan to help finance the $5.2 billion Tappan Zee Bridge replacement. The Port Authority will spend half a billion dollars to renovate the George Washington Bridge. The White House wants to KO the transpo bill. And: the green paint used in LA’s bike lanes is not digitally erasable — rendering them film-unfriendly.
The current head of New York’s MTA won’t support a ban on eating in the subway. Meanwhile, a former MTA head grilled Eric Cantor about the House transportation bill. The fuel economy of new vehicles sold in the U.S. last month hit a record high. New York State says it erred when it invited community members to a briefing about the Tappan Zee Bridge. And: why are so many romantic comedies set in cities? According to one writer, it’s because walkability=love.
President Obama’s 2013 budget includes hundreds of billions of dollars in spending on infrastructure. Two bills proposing federal safety standards for subways and light rail systems will go before the House and Senate this week. The warmer-than-average winter is extending ferry service in Lake Superior. And: watch a group of subway riders a group of riders sing “I Will Always Love You” in an impromptu tribute to Whitney Houston.
Criticism is raining on the Port Authority after this week’s audit, but “Little about this political bill of indictment seemed properly hinged to reality.” The Senate’s transportation bill restores the commuter tax benefit. In the U.K., GPS units are communicating with car insurance companies to monitor driver behavior. And: a reclaimed Los Angeles bus yard begins a new life as an urban wetland.
TN’s Andrea Bernstein talks about the House’s transit cuts on this morning’s Brian Lehrer Show. A New York Times editorial slams the House transportation bill. A TSA program that pre-clears passengers is expanding. The four consortia cleared to bid on the Tappan Zee Bridge have mixed records. DC’s Metro has seen an uptick in cracked rails. And: a German carpooling company prepares to enter the U.S. market.
The high-speed rail project that Florida’s governor killed last February would have made an annual surplus of $31 million to $45 million within a decade of operation, according to a state report. Toronto’s city council is preparing to kill the mayor’s transit plan. Four consortiums have been cleared to bid on the Tappan Zee Bridge. And alight, o weary Metro riders: some bus stop signs in DC are getting interesting.
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Transportation Nation is supported by the Rockefeller Foundation, whose Transportation Initiative is promoting
equitable and sustainable development in communities across the country. More at rockfound.org.
