Recent Streetsblog NYC posts about U.S. DOT

STREETSBLOG USA

Meet Your Next Transportation Secretary

By Tanya Snyder | | No Comments
Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx just accepted President Obama’s nomination to be the next transportation secretary. Before we get into the details of Anthony Foxx’s résumé and policy positions, let’s just take a moment to appreciate this: The White House has nominated a mayor to be secretary of transportation. There is often a wide gulf between […]
STREETSBLOG USA

Pretty Please: U.S. DOT Asks Carmakers to Limit Onboard Distractions

By Tanya Snyder | | 1 Comment
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood’s signature issue has been distracted driving. He’s spent the last four years amplifying the heartbreaking voices of those who have suffered the consequences of this highly dangerous habit. The stories of the needless loss of so many people, especially children and teens, are tragic. Clearly, it’s time to take decisive action to stop […]
STREETSBLOG USA

How TIGER Transformed Transportation Planning — And Lived to Tell About It

By Tanya Snyder | | No Comments
When the buzz about a new, stimulus-funded, discretionary transportation grant program started to circulate in 2009, some environmentalists opposed it. They worried it would be a slush fund for the Federal Highway Administration, used to build unnecessary roads that would aggravate sprawl and pollution. But insiders knew that wasn’t how the new Obama administration would […]
STREETSBLOG USA

FRA Responds: Amtrak Will Be Able to Use “Proven” Trainsets

By Tanya Snyder | | No Comments
On Monday, we featured a Systemic Failure post about FRA regulations in our morning round-up from the Streetsblog Network. Systemic Failure indicated — and Streetsblog repeated — that the FRA was unwilling to change its rules to allow Amtrak to use “off-the-shelf” trainsets and other equipment. The Systemic Failure post consists almost entirely of the FRA’s own words, from its […]
STREETSBLOG USA

U.S. DOT to Challenge AASHTO Supremacy on Bike/Ped Safety Standards

By Tanya Snyder | | No Comments
For years, the federal government has adopted roadway guidelines that fall far short of what’s needed — and what’s possible — to protect cyclists and pedestrians. By “playing it safe” and sticking with old-school engineering, U.S. DOT allowed streets to be unsafe for these vulnerable road users. But that could be changing. The bike-friendliest transportation […]
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