Elana Schor
Recent Posts
New Investigation Finds 2,100 Transport Lobbyists Working the System
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Interest groups seeking to influence transportation policy-making have long flooded the capital with campaign cash and lobbyists — and their numbers are rising at an eye-popping rate. Nearly 1,800 interests are employing at least 2,100 transportation lobbyists to work the system in anticipation of the next federal infrastructure bill, according to a Center for Public […]
More on McCain’s Anti-Transit and Coburn’s Anti-Bike Amendments
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As Streetsblog Capitol Hill reported yesterday, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) offered amendments striking money for more than 20 transit projects from the bill that funds the U.S. DOT next year. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) (Photo: Reuters via MediaBistro) The individual amendments have yet to come to a vote, but earlier today the Senate defeated a […]
The New White House Fuel Efficiency Rule: Count the Loopholes
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The final fuel-efficiency rule released by the Obama administration this morning includes what some lobbyists have nicknamed "the German provision," giving automakers that sell less than 400,000 vehicles in the U.S. an exemption for 25 percent of their fleet. GM CEO Fritz Henderson’s company can earn fuel-efficiency "credits" for its Chevy Volt. (Photo: IB Times) […]
Planetizen Unveils Its Top 100 Urban Thinkers
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She may be experiencing an intellectual reconsideration in some corners, but Jane Jacobs is still a beloved figure for the urban planners and designers of Planetizen. Jane Jacobs (Photo: BusinessWeek) After a month-long online poll that saw more than 14,000 votes cast, the site released its list of the "Top 100 Urban Thinkers" today — […]
Santa Cruz Non-Profit Now Offers Ride Insurance to Car-Free Commuters
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Transit and bike commuters in many cities are able to rush home quickly if an emergency strikes — but for commuters looking to give up their cars in less dense areas, an emergency often means a pricey cab ride. One California county that falls in the latter camp, Santa Cruz, has come up with a […]
Oberstar Stands Firm on Transportation Bill, Gets Industry Backup
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In case any doubts remained about his willingness to challenge the White House and the Senate on prompt passage of a long-term infrastructure bill, House transportation committee chairman Jim Oberstar’s (D-MN) op-ed in the Politico this morning should clear them up: House transport committee chairman Jim Oberstar (D-MN) (Photo: Capitol Chatter) Unfortunately, the administration and […]
McCain’s Transit Hit List: Get the Details
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Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), a self-styled foe of what he labels wasteful government spending, has launched a broadside against transit projects in the U.S. DOT’s 2010 spending bill, which is slated for a vote this week in the upper chamber of Congress. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) (Photo: Scrape TV) McCain had proposed more than 20 […]
Department of Energy Gets Basic Math Wrong in its Rail Analysis
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When it comes to the carbon consumption of cars, trains, and buses, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DoE) Transportation Energy Data Book [PDF] is an indispensable resource. But this year’s Data Book contains an eyebrow-raising error in its analysis of rail’s energy use. (Image: DoE) Page 66 of the Data Book, reprinted on the DoE’s […]
White House Tells Senate: Grants No Substitute For Infrastructure Bank
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The White House has reiterated its commitment to a national infrastructure bank (NIB), urging the Senate to reconsider a 2010 transportation spending bill that would "substitute in its place" $1.1 billion in grants. Patty Murray (D-WA) heads the Senate panel in charge of U.S. DOT spending. (Photo: Seattle Times) In a statement of policy on […]
The ‘Movie Ticket’ Theory of Transportation Pricing
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Let’s say you’re at the movies, and you look up at the box office only to see no ticket prices listed. You know you’re going to have to pay for the show eventually — perhaps even during income-tax season — but for now you can watch all you want, seemingly for free. (Photo: Roloff via […]
Did Oberstar Admit There Won’t Be a Transportation Bill This Year?
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The short answer: Nope. A report published this hour suggested that the House transportation committee chairman — who has repeatedly vowed to pursue a long-term federal bill before existing law expires at the end of this month — had abandoned the fight. Rep. Jim Oberstar (D-MN) said an extension of the 2005 transport legislation "is […]
Consensus on National Transport Goals Still Eludes Industry Pros
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Policymakers and private-sector players seem to be struggling to agree on how — and whether — to set national performance targets for America’s transportation system, as evidenced by today’s debate at a high-profile infrastructure conference. (Photo: UVA) "Performance-based" is a popular buzzword in transportation circles, where clear and definable national standards are seen as the […]