Recent Streetsblog SF posts about Transportation Policy

Bay Area Transit Agencies Eye Federal Oversight Proposal with Caution

By Michael Rhodes | Nov 16, 2009 | 4 Comments

A Muni LRV crash at West Portal station last July. Flickr photo: 2Girls1Queen The Bay Area’s major transit agencies are reacting with caution to news that the Obama administration will propose a federal takeover of subway and light-rail system safety regulation. Though administration officials have not yet released the proposal, Muni and Santa Clara Valley […]

Hesitation and Praise Greet Obama Administration’s Transit Safety Plan

By Elana Schor | Nov 16, 2009 | 1 Comment

Details of the Obama administration’s proposal to carve out a federal presence overseeing transit safety, first reported yesterday by the Washington Post, have yet to cross the desks of some top lawmakers and industry stakeholders. But reaction to the idea, both positive and hesitant, is plentiful this morning. The D.C. Metro (Photo: WaPo) "Safety is […]

Which is the Fastest-Rising U.S. Emissions Source: Transport or Electricity?

By Elana Schor | Nov 12, 2009 | No Comments

The climate change bills being considered by Congress treat electric utilities very well, giving more than a third of the revenue generated by CO2 regulation away — for free — to power providers. This move pleased coal country Democrats while seeking to lock down benefits for consumers by averting electricity rate hikes. But did the […]

Report: After MN Collapse, Bridge Repair Got Just 11% of D.C. Earmarks

By Elana Schor | Nov 12, 2009 | 2 Comments

In the wake of the 2007 collapse of Minnesota’s I-35 bridge, Washington policymakers vowed a renewed focus on repairing the nation’s aging infrastructure. But weeks after the fatal collapse, Congress approved a transportation spending bill with 704 earmarked projects, at a total cost topping $570 million — and just 11 percent of those earmarks went […]

White House to Agencies: Prepare for Broad Spending Freeze or 5% Cut

By Elana Schor | Nov 12, 2009 | No Comments

Congressional deficit anxiety, always running high amid conservative Democrats, is reaching something of a fever pitch this week — while the White House prepares to ask most federal agencies for two alternative budgets for the fiscal year that begins next fall: one that freezes spending and one with a 5 percent cut. U.S. DOT headquarters […]

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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