FTA

And the tab is substantial: $271 million. NJ Gov. Christie, who killed the trans-Hudson, $9 billion rail tunnel for financial reasons, is now left owing funds for work completed that his state would not be liable for had he not canceled the project.

In the wake of several calamitous rail accidents, the Obama administration announced it would create a new federal agency to enforce safety standards on U.S. transit agencies. A new committee is now deciding just how that power will be wielded.

Changes in USDOT and FTA policies help fund streetcar lines, making them more attractive to cities across the US.

BART's people-mover connection to the Oakland Airport is jeopardized by an FTA ruling that the agency failed to reach out to minorities, potentially denying the agency of $70 million in stimulus funds. Might the funds go to other transit needs?

...or not. Only 3 senators bothered to show up for his confirmation hearing. The discussion centered around the failure of the FTA to get funding to ailing transit systems across the country.

Game-day transit options are popular amenities in big cities, but new FTA regulations could force them to the curb. Cincinnati's Metro feels the heat from the Feds.