Recent Streetsblog NYC posts about James Oberstar

James Oberstar on the Future of U.S. Transportation Funding

By Ben Fried | Oct 10, 2008 | 1 Comment

Minnesota Representative James Oberstar is perhaps the strongest advocate for transit on Capitol Hill. In a recent Q&A with the Kansas City Star, he shared his thoughts on how the financial crisis will affect federal investments in transportation: Transit currently receives about 20 percent of federal surface transportation funding. Next year’s surface transportation authorization will […]

Rising Fuel Costs and Ridership Strain Local Transit Systems Nationwide

By Ben Fried | Jul 16, 2008 | 18 Comments

Transit agencies all over the country are nearing a state of emergency. At the same time that rising gas prices are leading more Americans to opt for buses and trains, transit operators are being forced to cut service and raise fares due to budget shortfalls.