New Appointees to Transportation Committee Not Urban

Staley, a frequent Planetizen contributor, writes:

"Under the leadership of former Congressman Jim Oberstar, transit programs and pro-transit policy were on center stage. By their nature, these policies tended to be city-specific and urban centric. Thus, federal spending priorities shifted toward explicit support for urban areas through subsidies for their transit programs and promoting initiatives such as "livability."

In contrast, the Republican controlled committee will likely shift discussions to transportation policy objectives that are more national in scope and impact."