With the House/Senate Conference Committee under pressure to agree to a transportation reauthorization bill, House Speaker John Boehner indicated that if agreement can't be reached by June 31, a 6-month extension (rather than 3 months) is preferable.
The Hill's transportation reporter, Keith Laing reports that "the talks (of the 47-member transportation conference) have appeared to reach an impasse in recent days."
The talks were convened on May 8 after the House passed an additional three-month extension of the 2005 transportation legislation on April 18. With that extension set to begin on July 1 (if the Senate agrees), the Speaker's indication that he preferred a longer extension showed his determination to take a stronger role in the talks which was not appreciated by the chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works and Committee
"I am very disappointed that Speaker Boehner is even talking about a long-term transportation extension, which would lead to the Highway Trust Fund going bankrupt, when all of our efforts must be focused on passing a transportation bill by the June 30th deadline," Senator Boxer said in a statement released by her office.
Laing also reports that Boxer was pleased that a motion by Rep. Paul Broun (R-Ga.) to authorize only enough transportation spending as is taken in by federal fuel taxes was overwhelmingly defeated by the House, calling the motion 'irresponsible'.
"I am very encouraged today (June 8) that the House of Representatives soundly defeated an irresponsible proposal to cut transportation spending by many billions of dollars from current funding levels," Boxer said in a statement released by her office.
Laing notes that the Senate bill (S. 1813 or MAP-21) "has proposed filling the funding gap with a package of tax loopholes and fee increases."
Thanks to AAR Smart Brief
FULL STORY: Speaker Boehner says he prefers six-month highway bill extension

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking
Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

King County Supportive Housing Program Offers Hope for Unhoused Residents
The county is taking a ‘Housing First’ approach that prioritizes getting people into housing, then offering wraparound supportive services.

Researchers Use AI to Get Clearer Picture of US Housing
Analysts are using artificial intelligence to supercharge their research by allowing them to comb through data faster. Though these AI tools can be error prone, they save time and housing researchers are optimistic about the future.

Making Shared Micromobility More Inclusive
Cities and shared mobility system operators can do more to include people with disabilities in planning and operations, per a new report.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
planning NEXT
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie