15 issues to watch in ’15, Part I: Capitol Hill developments
Already, 2015 feels like it could be a big year for transportation, at the federal, state and local levels alike. As the year began, we thought it would be fun to identify 15 people, places and trends that seemed to be worth keeping an eye on the next 12 months. In some years, 15 would be a stretch, but this year we had a tough time whittling the list to match the number of the year.
Tell the President to back a bipartisan gas tax increase
The steep drop in gas prices offers the best opportunity in years to raise the revenue we need to rescue our transportation trust fund and build for the future. And, for the first time in recent memory, leaders in both parties are calling for a gas tax increase to avoid foisting monumental repair and construction bills on the next generation.
Drop in driving growth is likely permanent, FHWA acknowledges, compounding the threat to transportation revenues
Following years of the gas tax losing its value due to inflation and a vehicle fleet becoming more efficient, a federal transportation agency has finally issued a more realistic projection of future driving that ensures that today’s gas tax won’t be a sustainable funding source for transportation investment.
Second proposed performance measure from USDOT makes some important improvements
You may have missed it amidst the flurry of holidays and the beginning of a new year, but after a long wait, the Federal Highway Administration finally released the second of three proposed rules to measure the performance of our nation’s transportation investments. Unlike the first proposed rule for safety, the news is much better this time around.
Last-minute budget deal holds good news for the safety of all who use our roads
In a rare weekend session, the U.S. Senate finally passed the FY2015 Omnibus Appropriations Act, sending it to the President and avoiding a government shutdown. Buried deep within the legislation, was a simple paragraph enacting a proposal that Transportation for America and many others have long advocated for.
Transportation for America’s year in review
As 2014 draws to a close, we are taking a look back at our five most popular posts over the last year.
As Michigan legislators race the clock on a transportation deal, other states plan initiatives
We tapped a nerve in November with the Capital Ideas conference in Denver. More than 30 states sent representatives – some of whom went right back to their states and got to work helping their communities make progress.
Three metro planning leaders help make T4America’s MPO guidebook launch successful
Transportation planning is hot, hot, hot! Or so it would seem, after more than 700 people registered for last week’s online seminar to launch The Innovative MPO, a guidebook for metropolitan transportation planning.
Budget compromise keeps highways and transit steady, cuts TIGER
The $1.01 trillion spending agreement reached by House and Senate negotiators on Tuesday night freezes highway spending at $40 billion while avoiding the big cuts to transit projects in the House proposal.
Who’s leading on transportation planning? Find out in ‘The Innovative MPO’
America today is a metropolitan nation: More than 85 percent of us live in metro areas large and small, and that makes planning for metropolitan areas more critical than ever.
It’s past time to elevate the national conversation about infrastructure beyond just the price tag. Learn more about T4America's three simple principles for federal transportation investment.
Read our new principles