ISSUE / Week of July 22, 2019
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Federal Funding,Highway Trust FundJuly 26,2019Senate to Mark Up Highway Reauthorization Bill With 17% First-Year Funding Increase
The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee is preparing to mark up a draft five-year federal-aid highway program reauthorization bill on July 30 that will provide a first-year increase in... -
July 26, 2019 Support for capital investments in public transit is high in the United States. Evidence for this can be found in measures for new investments that voters approve with regularity at...
House Passes 2-Year Budget/Debt Limit Deal
July 25, 2019 The House of Representatives has passed H.R. 3877, the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2019, by a roll call vote of 284 to 149 at 5:12 p.m. The party split was as follows: ...
Spotlight on Measure M
This week, Eno released an important new paper from UCLA’s Michael Manville about one of the most significant transportation ballot measures in recent years. Los Angeles County voters approved...
GAO Recommends FTA Improve its Cost Estimate Guidance for New Starts
This week, the U.S. Government Accountability Office issued a new report recommending that the Federal Transit Administration expand and improve its cost estimating procedures for rail transit...
Shippers Voice Concern Over Poor Railroad Communications, Access Charges
July 25, 2019 The House Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials held a “Railroad Shippers Roundtable” on July 25, following up on the June 20 hearing. The various...
FAA Administrator Confirmed, and his Deputy Gets to Keep His Job
The Federal Aviation Administration will finally have a permanent Administrator for the first time since January 7, 2018. After being nominated by President Trump in March of this year, Stephen...
USDOT Announces 20 More INFRA Grants for FY19
July 25, 2019 Today, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced the recipients of the fiscal year 2019 round of INFRA grant funding provided by the FAST Act of 2015, with 20 projects totaling...
GAO Repeats Its Call for a More Transparent, Consistent Selection for INFRA Grants
This week the U.S. Department of Transportation announced $856 million in new federal grants for transportation projects through its INFRA program. The program awards went to 20 projects across the...
House Panel Probes Proposed Bills in Car Safety Hearing
With over 40,000 deaths attributed to on and off-road related vehicle incidents in 2017 and 2018, vehicle-related fatalities have made themselves a persistent problem in the United States. The House...
FTA Makes $85M in Low-No Emission Bus Grants
July 26, 2019 Earlier today, the Federal Transit Administration announced 38 grants to transit agencies for purchase of low or no emission buses, totaling $85 million. “These grants will help...
Senate Panel Approves Bill Making FAST-41 Permitting Reforms Permanent
Yesterday, the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs approved a bill (S. 1976) that would make the infrastructure project permitting reforms in title 41 of the FAST Act...
Capitol Hill Events – Week of July 29, 2019
Tuesday, July 30 – Senate Environment and Public Works – full committee markup of a draft highway reauthorization bill and S. 1992, repealing the July 1, 2020 highway rescission – 9:00 a.m.,...