^Yes, please.

 

My original predictions of the Trust Fund going bankrupt in 2009 were true... a little early. I'm an advocate for more open-road tolling measures, similar to what Europe has installed on many of its interstate-quality highways, although it's like committing suicide when you mention it on newsgroup misc.transport.road ...

This is certainly a cause for rethinking transport in the USA......

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNA8rY3ScVU&feature=related

 

I was fortunate to experience this firsthand. Everyone who cares about transportation in the USA should visit Europe. Here is some of what I saw and photographed...

 

South Kenton UK, along the West Coast Mainline and London Underground (the above-ground portion). I counted 50 trains that went by in the 75 minutes I was there -- during the lunch hour. Wonder what it's like in rush hour.....

 

 

More in South Kenton, on the north side of London:

 

Paris Nord Station where Eurostar, TGV and Thalys trains terminate, along with numerous conventional trains and the regional/subway trains:

 

Another at Paris Nord:

 

Eurostar at London Waterloo Station in 2007, a year before Eurostar was relocated to St. Pancras station thanks to opening the last, $8 billion, 186-mph leg of the Channel Tunnel Rail Line:

 

London Paddington station, where we traveled to/from Bristol -- the world's oldest rail corridor much of which was upgraded over the years to offer 125 mph service:

 

Back at Paris Nord, as I pose next to our Thalys train we took from Brussels (350 miles away, a 2.5-hour train trip):

 

Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof (main station), one of the world's busiest -- amazing considering it's a stub-end station. The place was a sea of people on the Friday before a holiday weekend we visited in 2007:

 

Another view of the Frankfurt station:

 

Interior of the Eurostar train, which we rode from London to Brussels:

 

Frankfurt, again. It handles more passengers in a week than Cleveland Hopkins Airport handles in a year. What a beehive:

 

York UK. Great city and awesome train station. City population is less than 200,000. Train station sees 450 freight and passenger trains a day (most are passenger trains), more than at any time in its history. And more people travel to/from little ol' York by train than fly to/from Columbus and Indianapolis airports -- combined:

Just as a thought experiment, (and I've no clue how one would run these numbers).

 

What if we tolled all intercity highways at a very low level and then gave everyone a credit toward a certain number of miles - I'm thinking that something like this would be necessary in rural areas where locals probably shouldn't have to carry the burden but folks driving through should. I'd think 75 between Dayton and Toledo and 71 between each of the C's could carry a large portion of Ohio's infrastructure costs. It would allow us to fleece Michiganders.

Whether it's infrastructure, energy, education, or pick-your-topic, it's always cheap talk.  Then there are the topics they avoid like the plague:  peak oil, our nation's disintegrating financial situation, etc.  Headline on yahoo news yesterday:  "U.S. government expected to seize Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac".  Also, the FDIC has a list of "problem" banks.  As of June 30, there are 117 of them.  Not to mention we lost another 84,000 jobs in August and "official" unemployment is now 6.1%.  Although, if we were to measure our unemployment like European countries do (i.e. the Dept. of Labor's U-6 figure) it's 10.7%.  Private debt (business & personal) is currently 350% of GDP.  As for my household, we're liquidating some of or assets while they still have value in order to pay off the last of our mortgage debt.

I am imagining that this is what it looked like during the 1920s when *they* let the securities market go amok and the farm economy was slowly collapsing.

This is certainly a cause for rethinking transport in the USA......

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNA8rY3ScVU&feature=related

 

I was fortunate to experience this firsthand. Everyone who cares about transportation in the USA should visit Europe. Here is some of what I saw and photographed...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I just got back from Europe on Tuesday, and we used trains to get everywhere! It was mind-blowing how efficient, perfectly timed, relaxing and fun they were. Everyone in the States (non-believers, especially) needs to use the European rail system to understand how screwed up things are in the U.S. due to our poor selection of travel modes.

Oh damn, I hate it when Europe gets brought up because it always reminds me of how far behind we are. 

 

Every time I talk about "potential" crises looming over this country (and the world) to my dad, he always shoots back with, "the world is not going to end."

 

That's a very true statement.  But holy crap America is going to be one hell of a miserable place to live if we don't change our priorities FAST. 

 

 

 

Also, could someone on here explain exactly what a broke US Highway Trust Fund means?  Is this cause for a complete moratorium on ALL road construction.  Or does this mean that states are going to have to foot all the bills?  What are the potential paths that we face at the end of this month, when they do actually go dry?

It means there are too many projects and not enough $$$$ to fund them. 

 

The ridiculous part of this "crisis" is that people in the rail, transit, energy and environmental communities have been warning of this for several years and in 8 years of the current administration and two USDOT Secretaries (Mineta and Peters) nothing got done to either better fund & develop our rail and transit resources, or seek new sources of revenue...even as gasoline prices rose and vehicle miles traveled were flattening out and then decreasing.

They have their heads stuck in their a$$es.  :weird:

Transit funds no longer eyed for highway funding gap

railwayage.com

 

The Bush Administration no longer seeks federal transit funds to plug an $8 billion gap in the Highway Trust Fund for fiscal year 2009, which begins next month, and instead will agree to an alternate idea, offered by Congress, to divert general funds for the purpose.

 

Declining gas-tax revenue triggered by rising fuel prices and a decrease in driving had prompted the administration to suggest tapping transit capital funding. But the call, voiced by Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters, was scorned by Democrats, along with some Republicans.

 

Meanwhile, business groups urged Peters and the administration to transfer money from the general fund. Peters last Friday called on Congress to seek the infusion of funds from the general treasury.

 

The House of Representatives already has approved such a measure, though Senate action has yet to occur.

 

http://www.railwayage.com/breaking_news.shtml

Also, could someone on here explain exactly what a broke US Highway Trust Fund means?  Is this cause for a complete moratorium on ALL road construction.  Or does this mean that states are going to have to foot all the bills?  What are the potential paths that we face at the end of this month, when they do actually go dry?

 

You would think that the current situation would cause some serious review (maybe with new admin in Washington??) but by all accounts we're full speed ahead with road projects that have spent years in the planning pipeline. 

This is just a band-aid. We are not yet far enough into a crisis to dictate a far-reaching solution.

 

Maybe we can see it, but the powers that be are still in denial or are beholden to interests that want the status quo, no matter what.

 

I see SecDOT wants a clean $8 billion bill. No way. This should be an opportunity to add a few things we want.

To add a second comment to KJP's European train pictures after he added the text, I actually rode the same Thalys train route, except we got on at Amsterdam, went through Brussels and ended at Paris Nord. Man, that thing tears ass. Amsterdam to Paris in 4-4.5 hours. It went so fast that elevation changes caused your ears to pop just like an airplane -- even though train tracks are limited to grades of what, 5%? Those big paint chips on the front of the train are from hitting birds at hyperspeed! I also was in the same Frankfurt Haufbahnauf station less than two weeks ago, transferring to a Regional Express train to Wiesbaden from an ICE (Inter-City Express) train originating in Berlin. Again, awesome.

 

By the way, notice how most people kept a tidy appearance because they would be seen by others, not isolated in their automobiles exiting only for McDonald's and to get gas.

http://www.railwayage.com/breaking_news.shtml#Feature3-9-09

 

September 8, 2008

Transit funds no longer eyed for highway funding gap

 

The Bush Administration no longer seeks federal transit funds to plug an $8 billion gap in the Highway Trust Fund for fiscal year 2009, which begins next month, and instead will agree to an alternate idea, offered by Congress, to divert general funds for the purpose.

 

Declining gas-tax revenue triggered by rising fuel prices and a decrease in driving had prompted the administration to suggest tapping transit capital funding. But the call, voiced by Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters, was scorned by Democrats, along with some Republicans.

 

Meanwhile, business groups urged Peters and the administration to transfer money from the general fund. Peters last Friday called on Congress to seek the infusion of funds from the general treasury.

 

The House of Representatives already has approved such a measure, though Senate action has yet to occur.

Highway Fund Shortfall May Halt Road Projects

Link to story in The New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/06/us/06highway.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=highway%20fund&st=cse&oref=slogin

 

States Forced to Delay Millions of Dollars in Highway Contracts

 

States have put the brakes on millions of dollars of highway construction projects and are scrambling to substitute scarce state funds for the federal funds that have been cut off due to the crisis in the Highway Trust Fund.

 

"States are suspending new contract awards, halting right-of-way acquisition and looking for ways to stop on-going construction while maintaining public safety," said AASHTO Executive Director John Horsley. "It is truly a crisis that Congress must resolve immediately. Every day the federal IOUs are piling up and the states' financial hole gets deeper."

 

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters announced on Friday that the federal government would slow down reimbursements to the states, and would likely be able to make only partial payments beginning next week, due to insufficient funds in the Highway Trust Fund. She has urged Congress to enact by the end of the week, a $8 billion transfer from the General Fund to preserve the solvency of the Highway Trust Fund. Action is pending in the Senate.

 

More than a dozen states have detailed the impacts of the federal default on state programs, either in news releases or via media reports. Those impacts are available on the AASHTO website www.transportation.org or at the following links:

 

ALABAMA

 

Diminished Fuel Taxes Causes Rationing of Federal Funding

http://www.dot.state.al.us/NR/rdonlyres/2124AC24-B723-467D-9C4D-DC8D78FB52B5/0/99HTF.doc

 

ARIZONA

 

Federal Highway Fund Bankruptcy Hits Arizona: ADOT to Delay New Federally Supported Projects

http://www.azdot.gov/ccpartnerships/news/NRel2175.asp

 

Arizona Highway Projects Stall Out in Face of Shortfall

Link to story in The Arizona Republic:

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/2008/09/06/20080906adot0906.html

 

CALIFORNIA

 

Statement from Caltrans Director Will Kempton:

 

Today, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced that effective Monday, September 8, the Federal Highway Administration will delay financial reimbursements from the Highway Trust Fund to all states. Here is a statement from California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) Director Will Kempton in response:

 

"This latest announcement from the U.S. Department of Transportation aggravates an already tight budget problem for California's transportation program. We had projected that the state budget impasse could impact ongoing transportation construction projects by October. However, delays in federal reimbursements could exacerbate this situation. Failure to resolve this issue will have a significant impact on California and the rest of the nation. Unless resolved, this situation could result in delaying, reducing, or canceling transportation projects. The ripple effect could impact the state's economy through loss of revenues, reduced productivity and increased unemployment. In July, I wrote a letter to California's congressional delegation emphasizing the need to resolve this issue at the earliest possible date. We will continue working with Congress and federal transportation officials to secure the passage of legislation that will address the funding shortfall in the Highway Trust Fund."

 

COLORADO

 

Colorado Trying to Cope with Federal Cuts to Road Funds

Link to story in the Rocky Mountain News:

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/sep/06/state-trying-to-cope-with-federal-cuts-to-road/

 

KANSAS

 

State of Kansas Department of Transportation expresses some funding concerns

Link to story in The Fort Scott Tribune:

http://www.fstribune.com/story/1459509.html

 

MICHIGAN

 

US Road Fund Short, May Pinch Big Projects in Michigan

Link to AP story:

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080906/NEWS07/809060334

 

MINNESOTA

 

Minnesota Projects Not Effected

Link to story in the Star Tribune:

http://www.startribune.com/local/27914954.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aULPQL7PQLanchO7DiUsA

 

MISSOURI

 

Missouri DOT Watches Washington Money Situation

Link to story on KRMS Radio:

http://www.1150krms.com/?q=node/3220

 

Highway Trust Fund Shortfall Could Cause State Highway Projects to be Canceled

http://www.modot.org/newsandinfo/District0News.shtml?action=displaySSI&newsId=21745

 

NEW HAMPSHIRE

 

New Hampshire Worries Feds Might Hamper Road Work

Link to AP story:

http://www.boston.com/news/local/new_hampshire/articles/2008/09/06/nh_worries_feds_might_hamper_road_work/

OKLAHOMA

 

Highway Construction Halted by Oklahoma DOT

http://www.okladot.state.ok.us/newsmedia/press/08_051_highway_construction_halted_by_odot.pdf

 

PENNSYLVANIA

 

PENNDOT Secretary Says Federal Funding Shortfall Could Impact PA'S Highway, Bridge Program

Congress Needs to Enact Fix to Restore Fund

http://downloads.transportation.org/PA_Rls_Trust Fund 0905081.doc

 

$8 Billion in State Highway Funding at Risk in Pennsylvania

Link to story in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/state/s_586804.html

 

TEXAS

 

TxDOT says highway fund close to depletion

Link to story in the San Antonio Business Journal:

http://www.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/stories/2008/09/08/daily12.html

 

WASHINGTON

 

Gov. Gregoire's Statement on the Federal Highway Transportation Funding Bankruptcy

http://www.governor.wa.gov/news/news-view.asp?pressRelease=985&newsType=1

 

Washington Projects Could be Affected as Federal Fund for Roads Runs Dry

Link to AP story:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008161902_roads06.html

 

NATIONAL

 

Highway Fund Bailout Now Backed by Bush Administration

Link to story in The Los Angeles Times

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-highway6-2008sep06,0,4699247.story

 

Senator Inhofe Urges Immediate Action to Prevent Highway Trust Fund Insolvency

http://media-newswire.com/release_1072317.html

If someone asks you what is an interconnected, "intermodal" transportation system, show them the video at this link. Of course, if it was truly intermodal, Massachusetts would have built a rail line with the Big Dig to link North Station with South Station. But this is much better than what exists in much of the USA....

 

http://www.amtrakdowneaster.com/video/backbay.wmv

The Department of Energy has just released the 27th edition of the Transportation Energy Data Book. The book, available at http://cta.ornl.gov/data/index.shtml, is produced by Stacy Davis of Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Center for Transportation Analysis. New data in this year's edition include: transportation petroleum use by mode; ethanol consumption; number of vehicles per 1000 people in different regions of the world for 1996-2006 (China grew from 9.3 to 26.6); mpg for trucks as a function of speed; characteristics of daily driving; percent of housing units with a garage or carport; and more.

 

 

The data book, created under the Office of Planning, Budget and Analysis in DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, draws together transportation data from diverse sources under a single, comprehensive document. It is a valuable tool for informing policymakers and analysts about activity in the transportation sector. This joins the Data Books on Biomass, Hydrogen, Power Technologies, and Buildings Energy.

 

Center for Transportation Analysis

http://cta.ornl.gov/data/Index.shtml

 

Transportation Energy Data Book (PDF)

http://cta.ornl.gov/data/tedb27/Edition27_Full_Doc.pdf

 

Biomass Energy Data Book (PDF)

http://cta.ornl.gov/bedb/pdf/Biomass_Energy_Data_Book.pdf

 

Hydrogen Data Book (PDF)

http://hydrogen.pnl.gov/cocoon/morf/hydrogen/article/103

 

Power Technologies Data Book (PDF)

http://www.nrel.gov/analysis/power_databook/

 

Buildings Energy Data Book (PDF)

http://buildingsdatabook.eere.energy.gov/?id=view_book

Nice little article in the Mansfield News Journal.

 

Virgil Stanfield: With soaring gas prices, maybe streetcars are the way to go

 

By VIRGIL A. STANFIELD • News Journal • September 14, 2008

Editor's Note: Gasoline prices well above $3.75 per gallon may have some area residents longing for the days of streetcars and trolleys. This column by the late Virgil A. Stanfield, a former News Journal managing editor, was published Oct. 31, 1943, in the midst of gasoline and tire rationing during World War II.

 

MANSFIELD -- The gasoline and tire famine must be making a lot of Mansfielders recall how handy it was to be able to ride downtown on a streetcar, or to Shelby, Ashland or Bucyrus on the trolley.

Q & A: Isakson talks about high speed rail proposal

Georgia republican supports Sen. John Kerrys railroad initiative

By ARIEL HART

 

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/stories/2008/09/14/isakson_railroad.html

 

 

Sunday, September 14, 2008

 

In the midst of a faltering economy and a transportation funding crisis, Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) is planning to introduce what appears to be a major rail initiative, and Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) is preparing to join him.

 

The idea is to finance an interstate high-speed rail network that could serve as the spine for local transit lines. Saying the current system is broken, Isakson advocates treating rail just as the government treats airports: The government builds the airports, and the airplanes that ferry passengers are private.

 

.......

Washington Post Editorial

 

Paying for Roads

Congress takes a necessary step to shore up the Highway Trust Fund, but there's more to be done.

 

Monday, September 15, 2008; A18

 

ON THURSDAY, the House approved a bill that would infuse $8 billion into a trust fund that helps pay for America's highways, staving off its insolvency and averting layoffs of construction workers and delays of vital transit projects. The bailout was necessary, and Congress acted with justified speed.

 

Though the $8 billion patch will add to the national debt, we're relieved that the Bush administration withdrew its shortsighted plan to transfer money from the mass transit account. Doing so would have imperiled the development of public transportation when many people are driving less for the first time in nearly 30 years. Still, the bailout is a temporary remedy that will keep the fund afloat for a year at most if projections hold. Congress needs to search for new sources of transportation funding or risk a similar crisis next fall.

 

 

.........

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/14/AR2008091401657_pf.html

Infrastructure, the Economy: Hello! — They’re Linked!

For Release Sunday, October 5, 2008

Citiwire.net

By Jonathan D. Miller

 

Lost in the election scramble, bank rescues and heated debate over government bailouts is the simple fact that American needs to rebuild its wealth — we’re busted.

 

The national debt grows to over $9.8 trillion and climbs rapidly while the current $407 billion federal deficit has nowhere to go but up as the federal government grapples with a teetering national economy. The next president will struggle to recapitalize the country while hundreds of billions of dollars go each year just to service our prodigious national debt. For all the belt-tightening talk, eliminating $16.5 billion in annual earmark expenditures would make only a minor dent in the huge federal deficit.

 

So what do we do — when our Treasury registers empty and we confront so many other challenges?

 

In the first presidential debate, both candidates conveniently sidestepped the hard choices they will face. John McCain suggested a possible spending freeze and Barack Obama admitted some of his big ticket plans may need to be shelved for at least a while. At least, Obama made passing reference to rebuilding the country’s increasingly dated and inadequate infrastructure as an important priority.

 

In fact, a retooled national infrastructure will be an essential part of the solution to maintaining our economic clout and future prosperity, while providing the needed stimulus of a near-term jobs engine.

 

The challenges are huge: Our once-vaunted interstate system is overwhelmed by traffic around major gateway cities and along truck corridors. Our metro regions lack public transit systems robust enough to tame oil consumption and sustain future growth. The nation has literally zero high-speed rail lines and may need four or more major new airports. Major East and West coastal ports have turned into huge bottlenecks and our national freight shipping network needs radical upgrading. Chronic traffic jams, lost time, higher driving and logistics costs can only get worse as the U.S. population expands by an expected 100 million people between now and 2040.

 

We’ve responded before. In the 19th Century, the federal government jump-started commercial growth with canals and then the transcontinental railway. Early in the 20th Century we underwrote development of an electric grid to trigger a new industrial era. Post-World War II interstate construction and airport building enabled explosive national and metropolitan development.

 

Now we need a new generation of infrastructure building, led by the new president and Congress. And our approach needs to be truly strategic. We need to link critical goals — on the one hand, enhanced mobility and efficiency that enable us to compete with more advanced European and Asian networks, and on the other, reduced oil dependency and a “green,” lighter environmental footprint that matches the carbon-reducing demands of the times.

 

What are the cornerstones that can form a successful, wealth-producing, energy-efficient strategy?

 

- Use federal funds to Integrate systems and modes. Set federal funding guidelines to force states and regions to integrate their highway, mass transit, rail and airport planning, combined with local initiatives to reduce car dependency. We need smart, multi-modal, inter-regional solutions — no more single-shot “Roads to Nowhere.” The huge government deficits we face make the case for strong federal incentives — perhaps a national infrastructure “czar” to insist on integrated, economical approaches — all the more compelling.

 

- Promote continental connections that keep people and goods flowing. For example, world-class connections of the nation’s coastal economic gateways must be tied efficiently to primary interior cities and transport hubs such as Atlanta, Dallas and Chicago.

 

- For our major metros to prosper, insist that rail, light rail and subway systems efficiently link suburban development hubs to center cities, intercity rail stations and airports. High-speed rail lines should link cities within major multi-state regions, offering alternatives to air and car travel. More vertical, high-rise residential developments should be encouraged around rail and transit stops.

 

– Make users pay. Interstates and highways must be tolled not only to pay for new infrastructure, but also to provide incentives for people to find more efficient means of travel and cost-effective places to live and work. Freeways have subsidized car travel and trucking as well as encouraged sprawl by not charging drivers and developers for the cost of building and maintaining these road systems. Fully loaded driving costs and transit alternatives would encourage people to drive less. “Drill, drill, drill” is no answer when vehicles clog expansive arterials into primary metro destinations.

 

This new infrastructure model won’t come cheap. But an Urban Land Institute report estimates that more than 5 million jobs would be created if the U.S. invested the full $1.6 trillion needed over the next five years just to meet current infrastructure needs. A government commission has asserted we need at least $100 billion in additional yearly outlays to bring our roads, rails and airports into the 21st century.

 

The principle’s simply: to pay our existing bills, we need a growing economy. Infrastructure’s a lead way to do that.

 

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jonathan D. Miller authors authoritative annual reports for the Urban Land Institute on infrastructure and Emerging Trends in Real Estate. He also writes the twice weekly Trendczar blog for Globe Street.com. His email is [email protected].

 

Citiwire.net columns are not copyrighted and may be reproduced in print or electronically; please show authorship, credit Citiwire.net and send an electronic copy of usage to [email protected].

http://citiwire.net/post/262/

^Great article you posted, noozer.

Since we are probably going to need some serious fiscal stimulus in the next couple years and some new places to 'grow', rail investment would open up new areas for deepening capital investment.

GREATER OHIO JOINS NATIONAL COALITION TO ANNOUNCE FIVE POINT PLAN FOR

ECONOMIC PROSPERITY THROUGH TRANSPORTATION

 

Columbus Ohio (Oct. 15, 2008) – Today, on the heels of the Wall Street rescue and hours before the final presidential debate, Greater Ohio and T4 America joined together to call on the next President and Congress to strengthen our local and national economies by building a 21 st Century transportation system.The T4 America coalition represents a diverse range of interests that have united to develop a comprehensive strategy for building a modern transportation system that will create jobs, save Americans money and reduce our dependence on oil.

 

Greater Ohio, the non-profit smart growth organization for Ohio, along with their national partners in the Transportation for America Campaign (T4 America), released Build for America: A Five-Point Plan to get our Economy Moving. This bold economic agenda has the potential to create good, green jobs in Ohio and reduce America’s dependence on foreign oil once and for all.

 

Build for America calls for investment in public transit, high-speed and intercity rail, neighborhoods that are less car-dependent, more walkable and more affordable, and restoring the thousands of roads and bridges in failing condition across the United States. Specifically, Greater Ohio and its T4 America partners are asking the next President and Congress to work together to:

 

BUILD TO COMPETE with China and Europe, by modernizing and expanding our rail and transit networks to reduce oil dependence, connect the metro regions that are the engines of the modern economy.

 

INVEST FOR A CLEAN, GREEN RECOVERY through cleaner vehicles and new fuels as well as the cleanest forms of transportation – modern public transit, walking and biking – and for energy-efficient, sustainable development.

 

FIX WHAT’S BROKEN before building new roads and restore our crumbling highways, bridges and transit systems.

 

STOP WASTEFUL SPENDING and re-evaluate projects currently in the pipeline to eliminate those with little economic return that could deepen our oil dependence.

 

SAVE AMERICANS MONEY . Provide more travel and housing options that are affordable and efficient, while helping people to avoid high gas costs and traffic congestion. Save taxpayer dollars by asking the private developers who reap real estate rewards from new rail stations and transit lines to contribute toward that service.

 

According to Co-Director Gene Krebs of Greater Ohio “We need to stop thinking about just moving cars but instead think about moving people. Ohio needs to partner with the federal government to develop a transportation plan for the 21 st Century, as Ohio has come together for the 21 st Century Task Force on Transportation developed by Governor Strickland.”

 

“At our recent Summit on Restoring Prosperity to Ohio, we had one thousand leaders from all around the state gather to hear other leaders and experts on our four pillars of change needed to move Ohio forward. Transportation is one of the four and this T4 America Campaign fits with our state Restoring Prosperity Agenda,” says Lavea Brachman, Co-Director of Greater Ohio.

 

The U.S. already spends $70 billion a year on transportation infrastructure, and many are calling on Congress to do what has been done in every recent recession and invest still more to simulate economic recovery. However, simply using that money to build highway projects conceived in the last century is unlikely to help, the T4 coalition warned.

 

For more information or to download the complete Build for America booklet, please visit BuildforAmerica.Org.

 

About Transportation for America Campaign

 

Transportation for America (T4) is a broad coalition of housing, environmental, public health, urban planning, transportation and other organizations focused on creating a 21 st Century national transportation program. T4’s goal is to build a modernized infrastructure and healthy communities where people can live, work and play by aligning national, state, and local transportation policies with an array of issues like economic opportunity, climate change, energy security, health, housing and community development. www.t4america.org.

 

Click to view the Transporation for America Event Booklet

http://ent.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=239292029&u=2530981

Election 08? Allow me to confuse you

Bill Vantuomo / Editor Railway Age

 

While it seems that the urgency to invest in and grow the nations railways, freight and passenger, transcends politics, this election may prove more confusing and polarizing than most.

 

Conventional wisdom and traditional partisan politics tells us Republicans are good for freight, bad for passenger; Democrats are the opposite. Management will lean toward the Republican candidate, labor toward the Democrat. (I interviewed Union Pacific chief executive Jim Young by telephone for our August issue. I could almost see him cringe when we got into a brief discussion on politics and I mentioned Barack Obamas name.)

 

..........

 

http://www.railwayage.com/A/xfromtheeditor.html

Your vote, your crummy highways

The economy is in trouble - so are the roads, bridges and trains it depends on. Here's a close look at how the candidates would fix the problem.

By Tami Luhby, CNNMoney.com senior writer

October 15, 2008: 6:02 AM ET

 

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The economy isn't the only thing falling apart in the United States.

 

Much of the nation's infrastructure - the highways, bridges, airports and transit lines that keep the American economy humming - is also crumbling and in dire need of improvement. Clearly, a top job for the next president will be finding the funds to fix these sprawling systems.

 

In fact, it would take $1.6 trillion over five years to address the nation's infrastructure problems, according to a 2005 report by the American Society of Civil Engineers, which gave the country's system a "D."

 

..........

 

Find this article at:

http://money.cnn.com/2008/10/15/news/economy/infrastructure_and_economy/?postversion=2008101506

 

 

On the Right Track

Amtrak bill points way for mass-transit spending

 

http://www.archpaper.com/e-board_rev.asp?News_ID=2887

 

Barack Obama is one of a growing number of U.S. politicians who support increasing the nation's use of mass transit.

Courtesy Obama for America

 

Yesterday, President Bush signed into law the first Amtrak five-year reauthorization bill since 2002. In addition to providing $12 billion for the beleaguered railway, it also created two $1.5 billion grants to promote high-speed and inter-city rail programs. Both could be a big boon for AN’s New York and California readers.

 

But the most significant part of the bill may not be on the books: Congress’ growing interest in funding mass transit. With the five-year surface transit bill, which funds 95 percent of transportation infrastructure in the country, due up for reauthorization next year, the nation could be looking at a landmark shift in where and how it travels the country.

 

“We think, and we’re getting reception for this on the Hill, too, that the 1950s highway-based

........

 

Great article, and an even greater photo from the source article's web page:

 

 

The image is courtesy of Obama For America -- his election campaign

http://www.railwayage.com/breaking_news.shtml#Feature1-10-22

 

October 21, 2008

Passenger Trains on Freight Railroads: CSX's Mancini

 

The demand for additional rail infrastructure will put pressure on both freight and passenger railroads in the years ahead, and both sectors will have to strive to resolve potential conflicts between them, according to Lisa Mancini, vice president, Strategic Infrastructure Initiatives, CSX Transportation, the keynote speaker Monday at Railway Age's Passenger Trains on Freight Railroads conference in Washington, D.C.

 

"Both offer public benefits," Mancini said. "Can we have more of both? Not always. It depends upon choosing the right markets, careful planning, and sufficient strategic investment in track, signals, and sometimes in land."

 

Mancini noted that through the year 2035, "Without the investments in rail ($135 billion for freight, $198 billion for passenger), $5 trillion for highways won’t be enough" to resolve the nation's transportation congestion issues," she said.

OK, a stimulus bill isn't exactly rethinking transportation policy, but there's lots of transportation goodies in here:

 

http://waysandmeans.house.gov/News.asp?FormMode=release&ID=698

 

House Committee on Ways and Means

 

 

For Immediate Release:

Friday, September 26, 2008  Contact:

Matthew Beck

(202) 225-8933

 

 

House Passes Economic Recovery Package – Extends Unemployment Benefits

Legislation would also provide additional food stamps, health coverage and job training

 

WASHINGTON – Today the House of Representatives passed bipartisan legislation to boost the American economy, create jobs, and help provide additional relief to families who are struggling during the economic downturn.  The legislation, H.R. 7110, the Job Creation and Unemployment Relief Act, includes economic recovery incentives including a nationwide extension of unemployment benefits championed by Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles B. Rangel (D-NY) and Income Security and Family Support Subcommittee Chairman Jim McDermott (D-WA).

 

“While Congress negotiates legislation to stabilize Wall Street, we must remember our commitment to families on Main Street who are struggling to find jobs or put food on their tables,” said Chairman Rangel.  “This bill would provide a nationwide extension of unemployment benefits to the hundreds of thousands of workers who will exhaust their benefits before the end of this year.  Our economy has shed jobs every single month this year, more than 600,000 in total, and this bill helps ease the pain of those who have lost their job while also helping to create new opportunity for work and job training.”

 

The economic recovery bill would:

 

·        Extend unemployment benefits for the growing number of Americans looking for work (please click here for more information on the provision);

 

·        Grow our economy and create jobs through investment in our nation’s infrastructure;

 

·        Help ensure families don’t go hungry with Food Stamp assistance; and

 

·        Ensure Americans do not lose health coverage as a result of state budget crises.

 

ADRESSING NEEDS IN TOUGH TIMES

 

Extension of Unemployment Benefits: Provides an additional 7 weeks of extended benefits for workers who have exhausted regular unemployment compensation (20 total weeks).  Workers in high unemployment states are eligible for an additional 13 weeks of benefits (33 total weeks).  Extending unemployment benefits is one of the quickest, most cost-effective forms of economic stimulus because workers who have lost their paychecks spend benefits quickly. 

 

Medicaid Assistance:  Provides a temporary increase in the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) for Medicaid health costs, with increases from one to four percent, at a time of increasing enrollment.  These funds will prevent cuts to health insurance and health care services for low-income children and families, as well as generate business activities, jobs, wages and State sales tax revenues that States would otherwise not see. 

 

Food Assistance: $2.6 billion to address rising food costs for seniors, people with disabilities and very poor families with children.  This year, an average of 27.8 million individuals, and 12.5 million households, received food stamps. 

 

Job Training: $500 million to help Americans find and prepare for good jobs including $400 million is for dislocated worker and youth employment activities and $100 million to provide customized help to folks receiving unemployment benefits.  Unemployment claims have increased by over 38% this year and 36% exhaust their benefits before finding work. 

 

INFRASTRUCTURE

 

In order to have an immediate effect on the economy, investments are made in infrastructure projects that can start fast, meet existing needs, and create jobs.  These projects provide short term benefit by putting people to work and buying goods, but leave behind long term infrastructure improvements that will benefit Americans for years to come.

 

Highway Infrastructure: $12.8 billion, for our nation’s aging highways and bridges, to improve safety and reduce traffic congestion.

 

Corps of Engineers: $5 billion to invest in the nation’s water resource infrastructure with improved flood protection, navigation and hydropower and to increase the efficiency of existing water infrastructure.

 

Fixing Crumbling Schools: $3 billion to repair crumbling schools, provide students with first class technology, and to improve energy efficiency.  One-third of public school buildings need extensive repair or total replacement and two-thirds have environmental problems unhealthy for children.

 

Clean Water: $7.5 billion for drinking water and sewer projects including $6.5 billion for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund and $1 billion for the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund to repair, rehabilitate and expand water systems, many of which are over 50 years old and $300 million for Bureau of Reclamation water projects, including $98 million to provide clean, reliable drinking water to rural areas and $126 million to ensure adequate water supply to western localities impacted by drought.

 

Transit: $3.6 billion to purchase buses and equipment needed to expand public transportation and to make improvements to facilities and $1 billion to meet growing demand for public transportation due to higher gas prices while reducing American gasoline consumption.  Rising fuel costs have some transit agencies facing service reductions or fare increases.

 

Airport Improvement Grants: $600 million, for projects to improve safety and reduce delays at our nation’s airports.

 

AMTRAK: $500 million, to make necessary upgrades to tracks and stations so that Amtrak can meet growing demand due to high gas prices.  This year ridership has increased by 8 percent on the Northeast Corridor and 13 percent on other corridor routes.

 

Public Housing:  $1 billion for repair and construction projects, including critical safety repairs.  Every dollar of Capital Fund expenditures produces $2.12 in economic return. 

 

ENERGY DEVELOPMENT

 

Advanced Battery Technology Loans: $1 billion to support $3.3 billion in loans to encourage the manufacture of advanced vehicle batteries and battery systems – a key component to fuel efficient cars - in the United States.

 

Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy: $500 million to accelerate the development of technologies that will contribute to a reliable, domestic energy supply.

 

Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability: $100 million to modernize the electric grid, make energy infrastructure more secure and reliable, and speed recovery from disruptions to the energy supply.

Who says Americans won't ride mass transit?

With gas prices through the roof, our car-crazy nation showed the love for buses and trains. But there's a glitch.

By Katharine Mieszkowski

 

Oct. 23, 2008 |

 

It's 5 p.m. on a Thursday at one of the busiest Bay Area Rapid Transit stations in downtown San Francisco and the commuters are already pissed off. A Pittsburg-Bay Point train has just pulled in. This is the system's most popular line and takes workers under the bay to the suburbs east of San Francisco.

 

The doors on the first two cars are broken and won't open. As would-be riders cram into the remaining cars, frustrations mount as passengers inside the train refuse to squish in further to let newcomers on. The doors of the train swoosh closed and dozens of potential riders are left standing at the station. One fuming man in a white button-down shirt, who has been left behind, slams his hand on the train window and yells at the passengers inside. "You people are idiots!"

 

........

 

http://www.salon.com/env/feature/2008/10/23/mass_transit_america/print.html

^^Yes!

This used to be the lobbying arm for all things highways. Read their press release below and tell me if this is still the case.......

 

http://news.transportation.org/press_release.aspx?Action=ViewNews&NewsID=197

 

AASHTO Press Release

Sunny Mays Schust

(202) 624-5800

Friday, October 24, 2008

 

State Transportation Officials Set Course for Federal Program Reform

 

State transportation officials this week called for major reforms, accountability, and increased federal funding for the nation's transportation programs as Congress considers authorization legislation in the coming year.

 

Meeting in Hartford, Connecticut on Monday, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials approved a slate of recommendations for next year's authorization of federal highway and transit programs. The current legislation expires September 30, 2009.

 

"This is not business as usual," said AASHTO President Allen Biehler, Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. "The American public has every right to see what they will get for increased transportation investment. We have to be accountable and we have to move to a performance-based program focused on national goals. That's where state transportation leaders want to go."

 

The comprehensive multi-modal package of recommendations urges that the federal program go "back to basics" by focusing on areas of national interest – preservation and renewal, interstate commerce, safety, congestion, system reliability, and enhanced environment and quality of life.

 

Increased federal funding would be coupled with national performance standards established to achieve the national goals. States would self-define targets that would deliver accountability for the investment of federal funds.

 

Among the goals called for in AASHTO's new transportation agenda are:

 

+ Increasing funding for congestion relief projects and metro areas;

+ Improving highway connections and transit access for rural America;

+ Doubling transit ridership to 20 billion by 2030, and 50 billion by 2050;

+ Trimming 6-12 months from project delivery time by expanding state environmental responsibilities and integrating planning;

+ Dedicating federal funding for a fast and reliable intercity passenger rail network;

+ Reducing highway traffic fatalities by half in two decades; and

+ Moving as swiftly as practical from current funding methods to a distance-based user fee.

 

Reform proposals

 

The AASHTO recommendations call for:

 

+ Streamlining of the current number of federal programs and concentrating 90 percent of federal dollars on "core programs" distributed to the states;

+ Capping earmarks at no more than five percent of the federal program;

+ Expanding the current congestion air quality program to include climate change initiatives;

+ Creating a new "operations" program to fund low-cost, rapid deployment projects to reduce delay and improve reliability of the system;

+ Providing dedicated federal funding for a national intercity passenger rail system including high speed rail corridors, regional corridors, and long distance service;

+ Addressing expanding freight transportation needs though planning and investment programs; and

+ Boosting transit funding and ridership while streamlining the federal program structure and grant processes.

 

$545 Billion Six-Year Multi-modal Program Needed

 

Emphasizing the need to employ every kind of transportation to meet future demands, AASHTO calls for an overall $545 billion investment from 2010 through 2015 for highways, transit, freight movement, and intercity passenger rail. Included are the following:

 

$375 billion for highways,

$93 billion for transit,

$42 billion for freight improvements (from sources outside the Highway Trust Fund), and

$35 billion dedicated funding for intercity passenger rail.

 

The proposal identifies a number of possible funding options for consideration by Congress and calls for maximum flexibility for state and local governments in the way the funds are used.

 

The policy positions approved by the AASHTO Board of Directors are available online at http://www.transportation.org/?siteid=98.

How does our food move into our state?  I am trying to comprehend how energy cost will affect food prices and our standard of living.  The pessimists among us will cite the inanity of vegetables from California and Mexico or fruit that is flown in from Central America.  I doubt that flying fruit is the real "story", though.

 

I am trying to figure what infrastructure there is that moves food to our grocery stores and restaurants.  I have seen the large Seaway terminal near Bedford Heights (near I-271).  Obviously, that is an intermodal rail-truck facility.  Are trains used for fresh grocery food, or are they used for processed food like frozen dinners and canned corn?  Does that January cauliflower travel from the south in a truck?

 

I am sure that we use trains for grains.  The rail lines and grain elevators are the dominant development in the big sky country of Montana and the Dakotas.  But those trains are not on their way to Giant Eagle on Mayfield Road. 

 

I wonder if we are headed for a time when there are no out of season produce in our stores like apples from New Zealand.  Will frozen foods be economically viable a decade after the peak of peak oil?  I can foresee that rising motor fuel prices will make local produce and greenhouse produce more advantageous.  The pessimist in me thinks that food selections for the working class will be a pretty bland plate of oatmeal and potatoes for a lot of the year.

Rail moves a good deal of food in both raw and finished form, either by refrigerated railcar, boxcars or grain hopper cars.  Even those double-stacked container cars you see are moving a portion of food products both domestically and overseas.

 

Why?  Look at the cost of fuel (even with the recent decline).  It is still far more fuel and cost efficient to ship by rail... transfer to truck for local hauls...and on to the grocery store or food products plant.

^thanks.  Would you know how many food terminals there are in a big city like Columbus?

This comment is more about foods than trains, but it does deal with transport on a different level:

 

The cost of transporting food from distant areas is not the only reason to rethink our food system. The tomatoes and peppers that are moved on those trucks and trains are bred not for their taste but for how well they travel. What's more, Ohio's dollars are shipped the other way, to California or Chile. We need to eat more Ohio-grown food -- not just from Summer farmers markets, but year round. To do that, we need to rebuild Ohio's food-processing infrastructure -- more meat and poultry processors, canning and flash-freezing facilities. And then we need to work on a distribution network to move goods from the farm to the processor to the groceries and restaurants -- cheaply and efficiently. The Ohio Food Policy Advisory Council, appointed by Gov. Strickland, is working on a lot of this.

This is happening in the committee right now.....

____________________

 

http://waysandmeans.house.gov/hearings.asp?formmode=view&id=7445

 

ADVISORY

FROM THE COMMITTEE ON WAYS AND MEANS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 29, 2008

FC-23 CONTACT: (202) 225-5522

 

 

Chairman Rangel Announces Hearing on Economic Recovery, Job Creation and Investment In America

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles B. Rangel today announced the Committee will hold a hearing focusing on economic recovery and job creation through investment.  This hearing will take place on Wednesday, October 29, 2008, beginning at 10:00 a.m. in the main committee hearing room, 1100 Longworth House Office Building.

 

In view of the limited time available to hear witnesses, oral testimony at this hearing will be from invited witnesses only.  However, any individual or organization not scheduled for an oral appearance may submit a written statement for consideration by the Committee and for inclusion in the printed record of the hearing.  A list of invited witnesses will follow.

 

BACKGROUND:

 

American families are facing a unique new set of challenges as a result of the recent economic downturn.  The American economy has shed jobs every month in 2008, 760,000 in total.  In September 2008 alone, the economy suffered a staggering loss of 159,000 jobs, the biggest one-month loss in five years.  According to the latest figures from the U.S. Department of Labor, there are currently 9.5 million unemployed workers with a national unemployment rate of 6.1 percent, which is also a five-year high.

 

Millions of families have also lost their homes to foreclosure, as a housing crisis continues to grip the nation with mortgage and credit markets suffering from a lack of confidence in the financial services sector.  Increasing volatility in the stock market is also having a devastating impact on workers and retirees’ savings, with retirement accounts losing hundreds of billions in value in recent months. These factors, combined with a dramatic increase in the cost of health care, food, education and energy, have left millions of American families in an insecure and untenable financial situation. 

 

State and local governments are also struggling with record budget shortfalls, falling victim to years of policies that favored short term solutions rather than long-term investment.  These deficits are preventing critical investment in areas such as health care, education and  infrastructure to improve the quality of life for local residents.  These challenges are compounded by depressed financing mechanisms brought on by instability in the financial markets.  As a result, governments are increasingly unable to meet obligations for critical care or execute contracts for improvements to roads, bridges, railways and other infrastructure items.  The resulting degradation of America’s commercial infrastructure threatens to diminish its ability to deliver goods to markets around the world and damage its competitiveness in the international marketplace.

 

In announcing the hearing, Chairman Rangel said, “American families are hurting and they are looking to Congress for solutions to help our economy recover and create new jobs.  This hearing will examine the growing challenges facing working families as well as State and local governments to determine how we can best restore economic security throughout our nation.” 

 

FOCUS OF THE HEARING:

 

The hearing will focus on challenges facing American families and State and local governments during the economic downturn and solutions to improve economic security, create new jobs and invest in America’s infrastructure. 

 

DETAILS FOR SUBMISSION OF WRITTEN COMMENTS:

 

Please Note:  Any person(s) and/or organization(s) wishing to submit for the hearing record must follow the appropriate link on the hearing page of the Committee website and complete the informational forms.  From the Committee homepage, http://waysandmeans.house.gov, select “110th Congress” from the menu entitled, “Committee Hearings” (http://waysandmeans.house.gov/Hearings.asp?congress=18).  Select the hearing for which you would like to submit, and click on the link entitled, “Click here to provide a submission for the record.”  Once you have followed the online instructions, complete all informational forms.  ATTACH your submission as a Word or WordPerfect document, in compliance with the formatting requirements listed below, by close of business on Wednesday, November 12, 2008.  Finally, please note that due to the change in House mail policy, the U.S. Capitol Police will refuse sealed-package deliveries to all House Office Buildings.  For questions, or if you encounter technical problems, please call (202) 225-1721.

 

FORMATTING REQUIREMENTS:

 

                The Committee relies on electronic submissions for printing the official hearing record. As always, submissions will be included in the record according to the discretion of the Committee. The Committee will not alter the content of your submission, but we reserve the right to format it according to our guidelines. Any submission provided to the Committee by a witness, any supplementary materials submitted for the printed record, and any written comments in response to a request for written comments must conform to the guidelines listed below. Any submission or supplementary item not in compliance with these guidelines will not be printed, but will be maintained in the Committee files for review and use by the Committee.

 

1.  All submissions and supplementary materials must be provided in Word or WordPerfect format and MUST NOT exceed a total of 10 pages, including attachments.  Witnesses and submitters are advised that the Committee relies on electronic submissions for printing the official hearing record.

 

2.  Copies of whole documents submitted as exhibit material will not be accepted for printing.  Instead, exhibit material should be referenced and quoted or paraphrased.  All exhibit material not meeting these specifications will be maintained in the Committee files for review and use by the Committee.

 

3.  All submissions must include a list of all clients, persons, and/or organizations on whose behalf the witness appears.  A supplemental sheet must accompany each submission listing the name, company, address, telephone and fax numbers of each witness.

 

Note:  All Committee advisories and news releases are available on the World Wide Web at http://waysandmeans.house.gov.

 

The Committee seeks to make its facilities accessible to persons with disabilities. If you are in need of special accommodations, please call 202-225-1721 or 202-226-3411 TTD/TTY in advance of the event (four business days notice is requested). Questions with regard to special accommodation needs in general (including availability of Committee materials in alternative formats) may be directed to the Committee as noted above.

Amtrak components were posted in that thread. Here's the highway component:

 

 

FYI... Legislative Text of Economic Recovery Package S3604

 

 

http://appropriations.senate.gov/News/2008_09_26_Legislative_Text_of_Economic_Recovery_Package_S3604.pdf?CFID=46499086&CFTOKEN=69661155

 

FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION

SUPPLEMENTAL GRANTS TO STATES FOR FEDERAL-AID

HIGHWAY INVESTMENT

 

For an additional amount for restoration, repair, construction and other activities eligible under paragraph (b) of section 133 of title 23, United States Code, $8,000,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2009: Provided, That such funds shall be apportioned to States using the formula set forth in section 104(b)(3) of such title: Provided further, That funding provided under this heading shall be in addition to any and all funds provided for fiscal years 2008 and 2009 in any other Act for ‘‘Federal-aid Highways’’ and shall not affect the distribution of funds provided for ‘‘Federal-aid Highways’’ in any other Act: Provided further, That the Secretary of Transportation shall institute measures to ensure that funds provided under this heading shall be obligated within 90 days of the date of their apportionment, and shall serve to supplement and not supplant planned expenditures by States and localities on such activities from other Federal, State, and local sources: Provided further, That 90 days following the date of such apportionment, the Secretary shall withdraw and redistribute any unobligated funds utilizing whatever method she deems appropriate to ensure that all funds provided under this heading shall be obligated promptly: Provided further, That projects conducted using funds provided under this heading must comply with the requirements of subchapter IV of chapter 31 of title 40, United States Code: Provided further, That for the purposes of the definition of States for this paragraph, sections 101(a)(32) of title 23, United States Code, shall apply.

And the transit component......

 

FYI... Legislative Text of Economic Recovery Package S3604

 

 

http://appropriations.senate.gov/News/2008_09_26_Legislative_Text_of_Economic_Recovery_Package_S3604.pdf?CFID=46499086&CFTOKEN=69661155

 

FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION

SUPPLEMENTAL DISCRETIONARY GRANTS FOR PUBLIC

TRANSIT INVESTMENT

 

For an additional amount for capital expenditures authorized under section 5302(a)(1) of title 49, United States Code, $2,000,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2009: Provided, That the Secretary of Transportation shall apportion funds provided under this heading based on the formula set forth in subsections (a) through © of section 5336 of title 49, United States Code: Provided further, That the Secretary shall take such measures necessary to ensure that the minimum amount of funding distributed under this heading to any individual transit authority shall not be less than $100,000: Provided further, That the Secretary of Transportation shall institute measures to ensure that funds provided under this heading shall be obligated within 90 days of the date of their apportionment, and shall serve to supplement and not supplant planned expenditures by States and localities on such activities from other Federal, State and local sources as well as transit authority revenues: Provided further, That 90 days following the date of such apportionment, the Secretary shall withdraw and redistribute any unobligated funds utilizing whatever method she deems appropriate to ensure that all funds provided under this paragraph shall be obligated promptly: Provided further, That the Secretary of Transportation shall make such funds available to pay for operating expenses to the extent that a transit authority demonstrates to her satisfaction that such funds are necessary to continue current services or expand such services to meet increased ridership: Provided further, That the funds appropriated under this heading shall be subject to section 5333(a) of title 49, United States Code but shall not be comingled with funds available under the Formula and Bus Grants account.

...

We need to eat more Ohio-grown food -- not just from Summer farmers markets, but year round. To do that, we need to rebuild Ohio's food-processing infrastructure -- more meat and poultry processors, canning and flash-freezing facilities. And then we need to work on a distribution network to move goods from the farm to the processor to the groceries and restaurants -- cheaply and efficiently. The Ohio Food Policy Advisory Council, appointed by Gov. Strickland, is working on a lot of this.

Thanks for the civics lesson.  I'll have to watch for that :thumbsup:

http://www.rtands.com/breaking_news.shtml#Feature5-11-3

 

October 30, 2008

 

Coalition wants $250 million for passenger rail

 

The States for Passenger Rail Coalition is calling on Congress to set aside $250 million of its Stimulus II economic package for state intercity passenger rail improvement.

 

The coalition’s reasons are as follows:

•The Amtrak system, including state supported corridors, is approaching a record ridership of 29 million passengers this year. This record is largely due to soaring gasoline prices, and the ridership increases are expected to continue.

 

•The result of this increase is that critical track and signal improvements need to be made to address congestion problems that already impact service reliability in many parts of the country.

 

•Equipment for state supported services is in short supply. 17 percent of Amtrak's locomotives, and 15 percent of its passenger fleet are out of service.

 

•Investing in rail produces good paying jobs in America. For every $1 billion spent on rebuilding rail, 30,000 new jobs are created throughout the country.

 

•States have worked closely with Amtrak and freight railroad partners to develop "ready to go" projects that can be used to stimulate the economy now.

 

•Investing in rail helps reduce our dependence on foreign sources of oil. Passenger rail consumes 18 percent less energy per passenger mile than airlines, and 17 percent less than automobiles, according to Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Ohio is a charter member of the Coalition^

 

Another interesting viewpoint:

 

Brooks: A national mobility project

By David Brooks

International Herald Tribune

Friday, October 31, 2008

 

America's government spending is growing at an astounding pace. Congress and the president have thrown hundreds of billions into stimulus packages, domestic programs, military spending and other initiatives. Total federal spending is growing at a 13.8 percent annual rate.

 

Has all this money done anything to actually stimulate private economic activity? Not that you'd notice. Consumption is cratering. The U.S. economy just experienced the sharpest real drop in consumer spending since 1974.

 

........

 

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/10/31/opinion/edbrooks.php

^ I agree with his main point, and I'm a fan of Brooks's generally reasonable ad thoughtful columns. But for all his infrastructure talk, he barely mentions rail.

Brooks: A national mobility project

 

I get the feeling he's talking mainly about road capacity projects - "Major highway projects take about 13 years from initiation to completion - too long to counteract any recession. But at least they create a legacy that can improve the economic environment for decades to come."  I'd prefer focusing on alternatives, rail in all it's forms, and as far as roads go - focusing on Complete Streets - making them multi-modal.

Brooks: A national mobility project

By David Brooks

...

Create a base-closings-like commission to organize federal priorities (Congress has forfeited its right to micromanage).

I hate "solutions" with boards of unelected officials

^ I don't. As a reporter in the past, and now as a participant, I see how appointed commissions that bring various viewpoints together can prompt people to put aside ideologies and focus on the issue and come up with solutions. Trouble is, too many of these solutions get chopped up or shelved once they get to the elected bodies.

Exactly. There is already enough politics and favor-making in government. Unelected boards remove some of that.

Unelected boards are unaccountable to the voters.  If they accept graft or even have an appearance of impropriety, there is nothing the public can do to remove them.

 

Unelected boards are yet another layer of government.  We don't need another collection of people in patronage jobs drawing tens of thousands of dollars of salary to do something that a congressional committee and their staff are already paid to do.

Unelected boards are unaccountable to the voters.

 

Neither are elected officials, yet we keep electing those with the best PR machines.

 

We starting to get off track, however.