Tanya Snyder
Tanya became Streetsblog's Capitol Hill editor in September 2010 after covering Congress for Pacifica Radios Washington bureau and for public radio stations around the country. She lives car-free in a transit-oriented and bike-friendly neighborhood of Washington, DC.
Recent Posts
LaHood Kicks Off National Bike Summit
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On the first night of the National Bike Summit, Secretary Ray LaHood told an enormous hotel ballroom filled with cycling advocates about his childhood riding bikes in Peoria, Illinois and reminded them that they need to work harder than ever to convince Congress to support cycling. Sec. LaHood immediately after addressing the Bike Summit. Photo […]
State Transpo Officials Push to Toll for Maintenance, Not Just Capacity
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Last week, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood told state DOT officials gathered at an AASHTO conference in Washington that he was all in favor of tolling – but only to add new capacity. Iowa DOT Director Nancy Richardson wants tolls to pay for maintenance, not new capacity. Photo: Iowa DOT “We believe in tolling,” LaHood said. […]
Transpo’s Losses in First Round of Spending Cuts Look Worse Than They Are
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The two houses of Congress were so much at odds over the Republicans’ proposed spending cuts that they needed two more weeks to bicker about it. So last week, they pushed off a little longer final passage of the budget for a fiscal year that started five months ago. But in order to even pass […]
House Passes Seventh Extension of Transportation Bill
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Just in the nick of time, the House has passed an extension of the current transportation law. The sixth extension of SAFETEA-LU was set to expire this Friday. The extension is not expected to face any problems in the Senate. Although the House has been cutting every expenditure it can get its hands on, it […]
Mica, LaHood Stump at AASHTO Meeting
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Rep. John Mica promised state DOT leaders this morning that he would deliver a six-year reauthorization bill. He said he had previously thought of advancing a shorter-term bill but transportation officials convinced him of the need for greater certainty. With the full zeal of the converted, he announced, “Anyone who talks about anything less than […]
Mica on the Next Transportation Bill: Size Matters
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We caught up with Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chair John Mica today and asked him about the reauthorization of the federal transportation bill. Streetsblog: First, I wanted to ask you what your thoughts are about the size of the six-year bill? John Mica: Size matters. (Long pause, Mica laughs.) SB: Any guesses? Would it be […]
AASHTO: Government Shutdown Could Cost Transportation Sector $100M/Day
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If the House, Senate, and President Obama don’t agree on a course of action by the end of this week, the U.S. will be left with no federal budget, and the government will shut down. Transit agencies and construction interests don’t seem alarmed, but the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials estimates that […]
The Economist: Rock-Bottom U.S. Gas Tax Makes Gas Cheaper Than Water
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Gas prices are up to $3.23 a gallon this week, according to AAA. But before drivers complain about “pain at the pump,” they should compare U.S. gas prices to those in the rest of the developed world. A liter of gas costs about 80 cents. A liter of Fiji bottled water costs about $4.00. According […]
How Hard Will the Senate Fight Back Against House Spending Cuts?
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Members of Congress worked all day Friday, until 4:42 Saturday morning, to finish voting on hundreds of amendments and, finally, the final HR 1 bill to set spending levels for the rest of 2011. In the end, the budget bill they passed included 400 amendments and would cut $61 billion out of everything from Planned […]
Bike-Ped Funding Survives 583 Amendments
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Bet you weren’t expecting to hear any good news from the floor of the House today, were you? Turns out not everyone in Congress is as axe-happy as some high-profile Republicans. For example, Amtrak survived one attempt to cut all its funding and another to cut $447 million. (Amtrak funding does stand to lose $224 […]
AFL-CIO and Chamber of Commerce Ask For a Gas Tax Hike; Senators Agree
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Against all odds, in a time of high unemployment and Republican attacks on spending, momentum may finally be building for a gas tax increase. Business and labor came together to make a rare show of unity today to push for a robust transportation reauthorization with adequate investment for infrastructure. And they spoke out loud and […]
Florida Gov. Rick Scott Chooses Politics Over Constituents, Rejects HSR Funds
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Florida Governor Rick Scott announced today he would forfeit $2 billion in federal grants to build a high-speed rail line between Orlando and Tampa. Florida Governor Rick Scott: hot on road spending, cool on rail. Photo: Joe My God The announcement ended months of speculation about whether Scott would join fellow Republican Governors John Kasich […]