SAFETEA-LU, the 2005 surface transportation funding bill, expired two years and seven months ago. Nine extensions later, the House and Senate will sit down and work out its successor in a conference committee after the House passed a tenth extension.
In an unconventional setting, with the Senate having passed a 2-year transportation reauthorization bill (MAP-21 or S.1813) while the House hasn't passed their 5-year bill (HR 7), a House and Senate transportation conference committee will meet May 8 to work out SAFETEA-LU's successor. Keith Laing reports on the preparation for the May 8 meeting.
"I am sure that every member of the conference, Democrat or Republican, House or Senate, understands how critical it is to swiftly pass a comprehensive transportation bill that is a deficit neutral, reform measure that will preserve or create millions of jobs and thousands of businesses," stated Senator Barbara Boxer, chairwoman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, who shepherded the Senate's two-year, $109 billion transportation bill through the upper chamber earlier this year.
"Boxer is one of 14 senators who were appointed to the conference committee this week. The House has appointed 33 lawmakers to the highway bill conference committee."
Keith Laing also reports on the request by Congress members Doris Matsui (D-Calif.) and Randy Hultgren (R-Ill.) to raise the speed requirement for funding locomotives from 110 mph to 125 mph for high speed rail in the Senate bill.
"Maintaining the speed of 125 mph ensures that America's passenger railroad system will be more modern, efficient and attractive to riders," the lawmakers wrote in a letter to the conference committee.
Thanks to Association of American RRs: SmartBrief
FULL STORY: Highway bill conference committee schedules first meeting
Trump's State of the Union: More on Infrastructure in Democrats' Response
The president spoke briefly about infrastructure in his third State of the Union address last Tuesday, urging Congress to pass the bipartisan America’s Transportation Infrastructure Act of 2019. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer had a lot more to say.
The New Speaker's First Test: The Transportation Reauthorization Bill
Congress began work this week on a 6-year transportation bill, the first since SAFETEA-LU expired in 2009. Overseeing the process of adding amendments to the bill will be new House Speaker Paul D. Ryan in his first significant test of leadership.
Senate Committee Will 'DRIVE' Transportation Reauthorization
The Senate's DRIVE Act is shaping up to be the first six-year transportation reauthorization bill since 2009. Notwithstanding the acronym, it's not all that bad, writes Tanya Snyder of Streetsblog USA. Finding funding for it is another story.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.
Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.
Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.
MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.
Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
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.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie