Elana Schor
Recent Posts
Oakland’s Stimulus Flap: A Shot Across the Bow for Transport Equity?
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The Obama administration’s warning that the Bay Area has jeopardized federal stimulus funding for its Oakland Airport Connector project — a story Streetsblog San Francisco has been following for months — could have national consequences for other urban transit proposals that risk harming low-income riders, civil rights and transit advocates predicted yesterday. The proposed Oakland […]
Senate Weighs $14B for Roads, $7.5B for Transit in Jobs Bill
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Senate Democrats huddled behind closed doors this afternoon to assess their options for a new job-creation bill, with one option of around $80 billion making headlines even second-ranked leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) warned that no details are set in stone. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) (Photo: STLToday) But as Democrats debate the wisdom of […]
U.S. DOT Previews How New Transit Rules Could Define ‘Livability’
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When the Obama administration announced an ambitious revamp of transit funding rules to, as the Transportation Secretary put it, "take livability into account," urban planners and transit advocates alike were pleased — but also uncertain. Baltimore’s rail network, with the proposed new Red Line — which could get a boost from the U.S. DOT’s livability […]
The MA Senate Race: Consequences for Transport and Climate Policy
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Democrats awoke this morning to find their worst fears realized, as lackluster Senate hopeful Martha Coakley (D-MA) was upset by Republican Scott Brown. Voters, lawmakers, and advocates are left to wonder what becomes of their issues in a year already marked by political upheaval. Sen.-elect Scott Brown (R-MA), with his family on election night. Photo: […]
Obama Quietly Gets Federal Agencies Involved in Transport Planning
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When President Obama signed an executive order in October requiring federal agencies to craft strategies for reducing their greenhouse gas emissions, he described the mandate as Washington "lead[ing] by example" on the pollution-reduction front. (Photo: AP) And that’s true — but the order also includes language telling federal agencies to get involved in integrating local […]
LaHood Wants More TIGER Aid in the Congressional Jobs Bill
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Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood made a splash yesterday by announcing that the U.S. DOT would look at the environmental and community-building benefits of transit projects, not just their adherence to a government cost-effectiveness standard. Washington D.C.’s proposed K Street transitway, pictured above, is one of many projects vying for TIGER money. Photo: The City Fix […]
Big Transit News: Bush-Era Rule Tossed, Enviro Benefits on the Table
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Transportation reformers and members of Congress have long clamored for changes to the federal government’s major transit grant program, otherwise known as "New Starts," and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood answered today with an announcement of sweeping changes in the works. LaHood made his announcement today at the Transportation Research Board conference. (Photo: AP) The first […]
State DOTs: We Back National Transport Goals — If We Get to Write Them
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Congressional efforts to set national goals for the American transportation system are stalled for now, but the U.S. DOT said today that it is preparing for an eventual transition to a world where performance targets are the norm for transit, roads, bridges, and ports. (Photo: UVA) "National goals should be set by U.S. DOT in […]
Pelosi: Gas Tax Hike Doesn’t Have Majority Support in Congress
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After touring the Detroit Auto Show yesterday with fellow lawmakers, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) took one question yesterday: Why are Democrats not pursuing a federal gas tax hike, given its potential to cut carbon emissions and its support from auto industry players aiming to stoke demand for efficient cars? House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) […]
Obama Administration Working on Its Own Six-Year Transportation Bill
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The annual powwow of thousands of transportation workers, planners, and wonks that’s known as the Transportation Research Board (TRB) conference kicked off in the capital yesterday with a candid admission from some senior U.S. DOT officials: reorienting American transport planning to accommodate the overlap with housing and environmental sustainability is proving pretty difficult. U.S. DOT […]
Report: The American Auto Fleet Is Shrinking
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Could the nation be turning away from its decades-old yen for auto ownership? Americans got rid of more cars than they purchased in 2009, reversing a trend that saw total U.S. vehicles exceed the number of drivers more than 35 years ago, according to a report released today by the Earth Policy Institute (EPI). (Chart: […]
Dodd and Dorgan Retiring: The Consequences for Transportation Policy
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In a surprising one-two punch, Democratic Sens. Byron Dorgan (ND) and Chris Dodd (CT) have let slip their plans to leave Congress at the end of this year. Senate Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd (D-CT) is set to announce his retirement today. Photo: Daylife.com Dodd’s retirement is much less troublesome for Democratic leaders than Dorgan’s […]