Legislation
Congress’s transportation problems (and projects)
Congress is currently facing a tempest of transportation issues. First and foremost is the impending budget deadline, fast approaching on May 31, but there are other looming problems and projects, too, including regulatory agency vacancies that are drawing attention to transportation safety, as well as renewed efforts to reinstate Amtrak service between New Orleans and […]
How plumbers, the UPS, and people of color benefit from the NYPD’s slowdown
New York is nearing on the second month of one of the greatest law enforcement experiments in recent memory: what happens if police stop enforcing the law? Since the NYPD’s slowdown began in the wake of the Liu and Ramos shooting – which police union chief Lynch blamed on the Mayor’s comments on race and law enforcement – courts have […]
Legal pot leads to drugged driving concerns, says AAA study
As recreational marijuana use is legalized in Oregon, Washington, the District of Columbia, Alaska and Colorado, safety advocates and ordinary Americans alike are concerned over the impact of driving while impaired, according to a new study from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. The analysis found that over 50% of those surveyed reported feeling that […]
Evolving politics of NYC’s “failure to yield” law
Some New York City bus drivers were up in arms after a fellow driver was arrested for failing to yield and fatally hitting a pedestrian in Brooklyn just before Christmas. The drivers, who protested by refusing to leave three bus depots for an hour and halting service, were soon back on the job, according to […]
What to do about Montana’s record of traffic fatalities?
Montana recently launched Toward Zero Deaths, an inter-state program designed to make the “highway system free of fatalities,” as well Vision Zero, another safety program. The programs are each raising questions about high highway speed limits in the state, where 2,309 people have died in vehicle crashes over the last decade. In cities like Boston, New York, and San […]
Americans’ taxes subsidize congestion, study finds
The federal government is working at cross purposes with itself and local and state governments. In a study released last week by TransitCenter and Frontier Group, researchers discovered that federal tax subsidies are undermining transportation goals established by multiple levels of government. This discovery came through a review of commuter tax benefits. Currently, employers can […]
Gas tax hike to hit New Jersey drivers
Within 24 hours after this year’s elections, a new bill in New Jersey proposed raising the state’s gas tax to almost $300 yearly for the average driver. The increased revenue will be put towards the state’s roadwork fund for fixing roads, rails and bridges, reports The Star-Ledger newspaper. The legislation, which was proposed by Assembly Transportation […]
Voters react to transportation initiatives
The massive Republican gains of the 2014 midterm elections don’t give fans of alternative modes of transit much cause to celebrate. Of late, conservative transportation policy has favored highways that serve rural and exurban constituencies rather than services like high-speed rail, buses, or bicycles that support balanced urban and regional transit. Republican victories at multiple levels […]
NC to recommend new fees affecting developers, billboard companies
On Thursday, November 6, the North Carolina Board of Transportation will vote on recommendations to implement fees affecting developers and billboard companies. The board’s action follows its October 1 meeting, when Mike Holder, chief engineer for the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), recommended the fees. Currently, developers and outdoor advertisers pay fees to local governments for […]
Gov’t tracks license plates, refuses citizens access to own records
Law enforcement agencies are collecting license plate data on millions of American cars. Who’s tracking your license plate? And does it matter? The answers may startle you. A compelling report by AutoBlog reveals how law enforcement is using automated license plate readers to collect data en masse, allowing them insight to millions of American drivers’ […]
On the brink of the largest recall in U.S. history
Members of Congress are calling faulty air bags from Japanese manufacturer Takata “a public safety threat,” foreshadowing what could become the country’s largest recall in history and prompting skepticism about automakers’ ability to manage the recall. It could be massive, affecting more than 30 million cars and trucks — top-selling models from Honda, Toyota, Chrysler, […]
