Recent Streetsblog SF posts about Economics

Transport Economist Challenges Claim That ‘VMT Causes Growth’

By Elana Schor | Jan 7, 2010 | 3 Comments

The claim to a link between economic growth and vehicle mileage — that, in other words, auto travel is essential to keeping U.S. productivity high — remains controversial and much-debated in transportation policy circles. One notable recent flare-up in that debate took place on National Journal’s blog after road lobbyist Greg Cohen, referring to an […]

The U.S. Transportation Financing Crisis: A Snapshot From the States

By Elana Schor | Jan 7, 2010 | 1 Comment

Washington transportation policymaking can often resemble an unwieldy soup of anywhere between 50 and 535 local perspectives, as lawmakers from different states and districts vie for a fixed (or even shrinking) amount of federal funding. Congress isn’t eager to raise fuel taxes to pay for transportation — but what about the states? (Photo: Pop and […]

Transit Fare Inflation Hitting Health Insurance-Like Levels?

By Elana Schor | Jan 5, 2010 | 4 Comments

That’s the implication buried in a roundup of dismal news from urban transit agencies that ran in Saturday’s Wall Street Journal. After noting the overall ridership decreases tallied by APTA and the specter of punitive service cuts in many cities, the newspaper noted: Riders of Chicago’s El train, shown above, were spared fare hikes in […]

The Footnote to All Those Complaints About Tax Cuts as Stimulus

By Elana Schor | Dec 15, 2009 | No Comments

Transportation reformers and status quo-lovers alike smacked their foreheads in frustration when the White House’s first stimulus plan lowballed infrastructure to make room for tax breaks that had little demonstrable effect on job creation — particularly the $70 billion adjustment of the alternative minimum tax (AMT). HOT lanes on Virginia’s I-495 are one of seven […]

Rendell: National Infrastructure Bank Could Move as Part of New Jobs Bill

By Elana Schor | Dec 7, 2009 | No Comments

Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell (D), who is in Washington today continuing his push for a "front-loaded" federal transportation bill, told Streetsblog Capitol Hill that he sees momentum building for a National Infrastructure Bank (NIB) to be created as part of the jobs bill now moving forward in Congress. Gov. Ed Rendell (D-PA) (Photo: Post-Gazette) Rendell, […]

Senate to Take Up Mysterious ‘Jobs Bill’ — Is Infrastructure in the Mix?

By Elana Schor | Nov 11, 2009 | No Comments

The notion of a "front-loaded" infrastructure bill to counter the rising U.S. unemployment rate has been circulating in Washington for some time, though solid details on such a measure have yet to emerge. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) (Photo: LV City Life) The talk took a new turn yesterday, when Senate Majority Leader Harry […]

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