Works Bulletin

Headlines
WH backs $50B for infrastructure
Obama vs. Obama on infrastructure spending
Gloves up! It’s stimulus, round 2
Water woes a product of inadequate funding for infrastructure
A message from Copenhagen: Walkable urbanism
WH seeks federal oversight of rail-transit safety
How would a national infrastructure bank work?
News summaries
WH backs $50B for infrastructure
President Obama today threw his weight behind significant new
transportation spending as part of a broad jobs bill taking shape in
Congress, with $50 billion slated for transit, roads, bridges, and
ports and the administration endorsing "merit-based infrastructure
investment that leverages federal dollars." Streetsblog
Obama vs. Obama on infrastructure spending
If anyone needs further proof of President Obama’s deliberative,
thinking-out-loud approach to big decisions, consider his announcement
in today’s speech on the economy that he is in favor of major
additional infrastructure spending. Just five days ago, at his big "jobs summit,"
Obama strolled into a break out session on infrastructure spending — and
spoke about why he was skeptical that infrastructure spending was a good
tool for a short-term jobs boost. Big infrastructure projects take too long to
get going, he said, while less ambitious, faster-acting projects, like road
repavings, offered little in the way of long-term payoff or transformation
of the country’s transportation system. That same conundrum has been
visible in the infrastructure spending included in the $787 billion stimulus
passed in February, he said…That did not sound like someone interested in
investing billions more in infrastructure. Turns out, though, that was just
Obama at his Socratic best, laying out the argument against the option he
was strongly considering. Because today, he announced that the White House
is coming out in favor of more infrastructure spending on roads, bridges, water
systems and other projects, after all. Policy and Politics
Gloves up! It’s stimulus, round 2
Most news today revolves around President Barack Obama’s stimulus
speech on Tuesday and the announcement of a new jobs bill (or a second
stimulus, stimulus 2.0, or 3.0, depending on who you read). In what
Washington Post columnist Harold Meyerson calls Obama’s “FDR Moment,”
the president offered up a series of tax breaks, the redirection of
leftover TARP funds, and the doubling-down of federal investment in
infrastructure. Meyerson writes that the Obama administration has come
to the same understanding that FDR did – that propping up banks isn’t
enough to fix the economy, as long as the banks look out at the economy
and see nothing but risk. All that does is leave the government as the
de facto banker once the private sector has abandoned small businesses,
even though those same banks have received massive public assistance.
ProPublica
Water woes a product of inadequate funding for infrastructure
“Today’s New York Times article on violations of the Safe Drinking
Water Act underscores the profound challenges facing municipalities
around the country in delivering safe, clean water to residents. Yet,
it should not be taken as a reason to condemn the public ownership of
local water systems, nor should it erode public faith in government’s
ability to safeguard this essential resource. If anything, it
highlights a need for government to be more responsive to the water
crisis facing many municipalities across the country… “The best
approach to ensuring the integrity of our water and sewer
infrastructure would be to create a dedicated source of federal funding
to ensure that local municipalities have a consistent source of money
to maintain their water systems, thereby ensuring their ability to
provide, safe, clean, affordable water for residents. A Clean Water
Trust Fund would achieve this goal, while ensuring that local water
utilities remain publically controlled, safe from the pitfalls of risky
privatization schemes, and ultimately rendering bottled water obsolete.
Common Dreams
A message from Copenhagen: Walkable urbanism
At a panel discussion yesterday at the Copenhagen climate summit,
American policymakers and transit experts delivered a clear message:
Walkable urban development must be part of any effective plan to reduce
global greenhouse gas emissions. Streetsblog
WH seeks federal oversight of rail-transit safety
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood unveiled on Tuesday details of
the administration’s plan to take over safety regulation of the
nation’s subway and light-rail systems, a proposal that would give
federal authorities the power to bring lawsuits and seek criminal
sentences. The Washington Post
How would a national infrastructure bank work?
Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell is a good friend to infrastructure. As
the co-chair of the Building America’s Future coalition, he’s been a
staunch advocate for increased infrastructure spending as well as the
creation of a National Infrastructure Bank (NIB), a public-private
partnership agency tasked with evaluating and financing the nation’s
largest projects. The NIB has been strongly supported by the White
House, as well as many political groups and private organizations. Like
other federal banks, it would start with a modest amount of federal
money to provide secure credit at low rates, and leverage the private
funds needed for long-term investment. The governor kindly agreed to
answer our questions about the bank, and his plans for it. The Infrastructurist

Headlines
States vie for $69B in infrastructure funding
States await Obama jobs plan
Obama seeks private funds for infrastructure spending
Obama skeptical about ‘shovel-ready’ projects’ long-term impact
Ground shifts for stimulus
Cities’ recession deficits: Belated blow to U.S. economy?
Small cities seek bigger role
MI: Hundreds of Mich. road projects slashed

[click on link below for articles]

News summaries
States vie for $69B in infrastructure funding
State transportation officials across the nation are clamoring for $69
billion in infrastructure projects in the jobs bill that President
Obama will outline Tuesday, underscoring criticism that his first
stimulus gave short shrift to job-creating highway and transit
construction. The Washington Times
States await Obama jobs plan
State officials are eagerly awaiting a federal job-creation initiative
to be outlined by President Obama today. They hope it will
include extended unemployment benefits, infrastructure money and other
aid for their battered states. Stateline.org
Obama seeks private funds for infrastructure spending
President Barack Obama said on Thursday he wants to find ways to
leverage private sector dollars "now sitting on the sidelines" to
invest in new infrastructure projects to help create jobs. Obama told a
White House jobs forum, however, that job creation measures that work
long-term like infrastructure investment may not necessarily deliver
the short-term stimulus the economy needs. Reuters
Obama skeptical about ‘shovel-ready’ projects’ long-term impact
A roomful of local and state government officials, transportation
industry executives and union officials was holding forth Thursday
about how more infrastructure spending would solve the jobs problem,
when President Obama strode into the room — and promptly told the
assembled guests that he thought infrastructure was not all that well
suited to a quick jobs boost. The Washington Post
Ground shifts for stimulus
The employment report could increase tensions between congressional
Democrats seeking a big jobs-related bill and a White House equally
concerned about the deficit….The House and Senate are also crafting
jobs packages that will include investing in infrastructure, providing
aid to state and city governments, and increasing loan guarantees for
small business. Lawmakers are eager to pass the package by early next
year, as soon as they complete the health overhaul. The Wall Street Journal
Cities’ recession deficits: Belated blow to U.S. economy?
In the 1930s, America underwent its grinding, years-long Great
Depression. Now, at a minimum, we have the Great Recession. It’s the
severest downturn in 70 years. And without a fiscal lifeline to
struggling cities, it could conceivably get even worse. This is the
alarming conclusion of last month’s joint study and conference of the
Brookings Institution and the National League of Cities (NLC),
including a panel of mayors from across the nation… Even before that,
cities and towns are finding themselves engulfed in a daunting,
widespread fiscal crisis. Deep work-force cuts, sharply reduced
services and canceled infrastructure projects are reported across the
country. Each cut, as it occurs, reduces economic activity and
intensifies the recession. National League of Cities
Small cities seek bigger role
They are also finding it difficult to create alternative revenue
sources and sustainable cost containment programs, maintain aging
infrastructure, fund specific solutions and programs to meet the
specific needs of their communities and find the resources necessary to
write grants and obtain federal funds. Nation’s Cities Weekly
MI: Hundreds of Mich. road projects slashed
Construction projects on Interstates 96, 94, 75 and other Metro Detroit
commuter routes are among hundreds to be cut or delayed by the state as
the sour economy empties the fund for repairs. A five-year road and
bridge program announced by the Michigan Department of Transportation
last week would delay more than 100 road projects and 575 bridge
projects statewide. That translates into a 60 percent decrease in road
work and more than a 65 percent decrease in bridge projects. Also, more
than 375 miles of road improvements would be postponed. In response,
the Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association
will launch today a statewide push to call the public’s attention to
the cuts and push for increased investment. The Detroit News

Headlines
Mayors sound alarm over drop in city revenues
Army Corps forces designers to consider rising seas
House leaders push for jobs bill
DeFazio: Summers, Geithner oppose using bailout money on infrastructure
Some don’t report how stimulus funds spent
Housing bust halts growing suburbs
IL: Study: Public transit infrastructure is outdated
IL: It’s official: Chicago parking privatization a massive rip-off

[click on link below for articles]
News summaries
Mayors sound alarm over drop in city revenues
Mayors from four U.S. cities said they are facing a
once-in-a-generation fiscal crisis and that federal stimulus funds
have, so far, been largely unhelpful in helping them balance budgets
hit by steep drops in nearly every source of municipal revenue. The Wall Street Journal
Army Corps forces designers to consider rising seas
The Army Corps of Engineers must consider the effects of climate change
as it draws up plans for flood control, navigation and other water
projects under a new agency policy. The idea is to keep rising seas
from swamping major federal investments. "You don’t want to make stupid
large investments that are difficult or impossible to undo," said
Jeffrey Gebert, the Army Corps’ chief of coastal planning in the
Philadelphia district and a member of the team that drafted the
policy. In some cases, extra up-front investment could armor projects
against worst-case scenarios, the policy’s authors say. In others, the
corps could leave room for future adjustments….Officials said
existing projects also will be evaluated with rising seas in mind. Greenwire
House leaders push for jobs bill
Elements of such a bill could run the gamut from infrastructure
spending to small-business lending to extra aid for states and the
unemployed, lawmakers said. Democratic leaders haven’t determined any
specifics — including the politically dicey question of how to pay for
it. Rep. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, who runs the House Democrats’
campaign effort, said lawmakers were aiming for a six-year infrastructure
bill that also could include energy-related investment…AFL-CIO president
Richard Trumka put pressure on Congress to act Tuesday when he rolled out
a proposal putting heavy emphasis on government spending on infrastructure,
including schools, as well as a new round of aid to states and local governments
to forestall layoffs. The Wall Street Journal
DeFazio: Summers, Geithner oppose using bailout money on infrastructure
When the Obama administration first pushed to delay the next federal
long-term infrastructure bill by 18 months, transport panel chairman
Jim Oberstar (D-MN) quipped that "folks in the economic gang at the
White House" — think economic adviser Larry Summers — "never had a
shovel in their hands or a callus on their fingers. And Rep. Pete DeFazio (D-OR),
who said in January that Summers "hates infrastructure," offered
another no-holds-barred take last night. In an interview with MSNBC’s Ed Schultz
(viewable above), DeFazio confirmed that House Democrats are discussing plans
to spend unused money from Washington’s $750 billion Wall Street bailout on
job-creation programs,including infrastructure. But Summers and Treasury
Secretary Tim Geithner are set against the idea, DeFazio added. "Unfortunately, the
president has an adviser from Wall Street, Larry Summers, and an adviser from
Wall Street, Timmy Geithner, who don’t like that idea," the Oregonian lawmaker told
Schultz. "They want to keep the money [because] there may be more needs on Wall
Street, or maybe we should use it to pay down the deficit." DeFazio went
on to hint that progressive Democrats in the House are discussing a formal suggestion
that Geithner and Summers be removed from their posts: "We may have to sacrifice just
two more jobs to get millions back for Americans." DC Streetsblog
Some don’t report how stimulus funds spent
Stung by criticism over data showing billions in federal stimulus money
going to nonexistent congressional districts in Pennsylvania and other
states, the government corrected its Web site created to track the
money. Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Housing bust halts growing suburbs
Bedroom communities now must rethink their future and become "a little
less sprawly, a little more village-like with clustered development,
denser housing," Lang says. "The irony is that if they want to keep
growing, they must grow as cities, which is diametrically opposite of
how they got so big in the first place." USA Today
IL: Study: Public transit infrastructure is outdated
Don’t be surprised if your train or bus ride seems a little slower,
because a new report finds public transportation around Chicago needs a
serious upgrade. The report says 70 percent of Metra bridges and 42
percent of Chicago Transit Authority bridges are past their "useful
life." CBS
IL: It’s official: Chicago parking privatization a massive rip-off
City parking meters are a gold mine, and in Chicago, Morgan Stanley is
rolling in parking riches. Secret company documents leaked to reporters
show the company will rake in a 70 percent profit margin this year from
its $1.15 billion, 75-year lease of Chicago’s parking meters. This
profit is on top of the millions Morgan paid to buy new, high-tech
meters. The good times will keep on rolling for investors: In 2010,
after another meter price hike, Morgan expects to make monthly profits
of $4.8 million, roughly 55 percent higher than in 2009. Streetsblog NYC

Headlines
Senate to take up mysterious ‘jobs bill’ — Is infrastructure in the mix?
New report: ‘Greasing the Wheels’
Smarter cities
IN: Environmental group plan green forum
DC: Senator tired of ‘lip service’ from Metro on safety
IL: Service cuts to Chicago’s buses, L trains
OH: City hits ridership bus goal
CA: OC bus routes slashed in budget crunch
CA: Author speaks about bicycle culture, growth

[click on link below for articles]
News summaries
Senate to take up mysterious ‘jobs bill’ — Is infrastructure in the mix?
The notion of a "front-loaded" infrastructure bill to counter the
rising U.S. unemployment rate has been circulating in Washington for
some time, though solid details on such a measure have yet to emerge.
The talk took a new turn yesterday, when Senate Majority Leader Harry
Reid (NV) told fellow Democrats that he would call up a "jobs bill"
before the end of the year. DC Streets Blog
New report: ‘Greasing the Wheels’
In the wake of the 2007 collapse of Minnesota’s I-35 bridge, Washington
policymakers vowed a renewed focus on repairing the nation’s aging
infrastructure. But weeks after the fatal collapse, Congress approved a
transportation spending bill with 704 earmarked projects, at a total
cost topping $570 million — and just 11 percent of those earmarks went
towards bridge repair, according to a new report released today. Today’s report,
produced by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group (PIRG),
contrasts the low amounts lawmakers set aside for bridge repair with
the flood of campaign contributions sent their way by highway,
development, automobile, and construction groups. DC Streets Blog
Smarter cities
Have you heard about NRDC’s Smarter Cities?
"Today urban leaders—mayors, businesses and community organizations—are
in the environmental vanguard, making upgrades to transportation
infrastructure, zoning, building codes, and waste management programs
as well as improving access to open space, green jobs, affordable
efficient housing and more. If they succeed in making their cities more
efficient, responsible and sustainable, what will result will be
smarter places for business and healthier places to live.” Green Building
IN: Environmental group plan green forum
Indiana’s largest environmental group is hosting a forum this weekend
focusing on what the state’s upcoming legislative session could mean
for renewable energy, mass transit and other "green" policies. The Indianapolis Star
DC: Senator tired of ‘lip service’ from Metro on safety
Maryland Sen. Barbara Mikulski is issuing the latest verbal attack in
the continuing back and forth between her and Metro. Mikulski has asked
Federal Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood to investigate Metro’s
treatment of the Tri-State Oversight Committee, which oversees the
safety of the transit system. The committee wants to monitor live
subway tracks to see if Metro workers are complying with safety
regulations. Two workers have been killed in the last six months. Metro
had said "no," but now says it will allow the monitoring. Nine people
were killed earlier this year when two Metro trains collided. A six-car
train slammed into the back of a stopped train between Fort Totten
and Takoma during the afternoon rush hour on June 22. WTOP
IL: Service cuts to Chicago’s buses, L trains
The Chicago Transit Authority has approved service cuts that will mean
longer wait times and bigger crowds on buses and ‘L’ trains. Overall,
the plan calls for an 18 percent reduction in bus service and a 9
percent reduction in train service….
Activists said the service cuts will affect African-American and Latino
neighborhoods in particular, since seven of the nine express buses
serve South Side neighborhoods with predominantly black and Hispanic
populations, while only four serve predominantly white North Side
neighborhoods. Activists claimed this could be grounds for federal
civil rights complaints. WBBM780
OH: City hits ridership bus goal
Despite the doubling of fares last fall, Columbia Transit has surpassed
its long-standing goal of 2 million riders in a year. Columbia Daily Tribune
CA: OC bus routes slashed in budget crunch
Orange County transportation officials approved a plan today to slash
the late-night service that serves graveyard-shift workers and would
eliminate routes that go from Huntington Beach to Costa Mesa and Brea
to Santa Ana. The plan cuts 150,000 hours of service from the bus
schedule – a smaller cut than the Orange County Transportation
Authority had expected to make. At one time, the agency was looking to
slash 300,000 hours of service. Orange County Register
CA: Author speaks about bicycle culture, growth
“It doesn’t take 3,000 pounds of sheet metal to move your rear end for
two miles,” said Jeff Mapes, a senior political reporter for the
Oregonian. In the mid-‘90s, Mapes realized this truth when he
transitioned from a mostly four-wheeled mode of transportation to two,
opting to ride his bike several miles to and from work. Also during
that time, the city of Portland adopted a Bicycle Master Plan, which
resulted in the installation of bike lanes, boulevards and off-street
paths.“My commute got easier because of some of the things they were
doing,” Mapes said. “I became intrigued by what was behind it. At the
same time, I was seeing what great benefits cycling was having to me… I
was feeling better. I was getting fewer colds. I was saving money.”
Mapes’s curiosity led to the writing of “Pedaling Revolution: How
Cyclists Are Changing American Cities.” In the book, Mapes discusses
the growth of bike advocacy; he reviews health and safety issues
associated with cycling and focuses on four major bike cities —
Portland, Ore.; Davis, Calif.; New York City; and Amsterdam. Mapes will
give a presentation about the development of bike culture and its
effect on urban city life at a California State University, Long Beach,
rideshare event next Thursday, Nov. 19. The event is part of ECO Week
at CSULB and will feature free bicycle safety and tune-up inspections
courtesy of Jax Bicycle Center. Gazettes

Headlines
Beyond California: States in fiscal peril
‘Road trains’ get ready to roll in Europe
A void paved over with concrete — opinion
Calls for pedestrian safety grow louder
Happy states
IL: Deal to stem fare hikes for disabled riders
KS: Wind energy in Kansas hampered by lack of power lines

[click on link below for articles]
News summaries
Beyond California: States in fiscal peril
In its new report “Beyond
California: States in Fiscal Peril,” the Pew Center on the States
shows that some of the same pressures that have pushed California
toward economic disaster are wreaking havoc in a number of other
states, with potentially damaging consequences for the entire country.
Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode
Island and Wisconsin join California as the 10 states highlighted by
Pew’s analysis. Stateline.org
‘Road trains’ get ready to roll in Europe
Road trains that link vehicles together using wireless sensors could
soon be on European roads. An EU-financed research project is looking
at inexpensive ways of getting vehicles to travel in a ‘platoon’ on
Europe’s motorways. Each road train could include up to eight separate vehicles
– cars, buses and trucks will be mixed in each one. The EU hopes to cut fuel
consumption, journey times and congestion by linking vehicles
together. Early work on the idea suggests that fuel consumption could
be cut by 20% among those cars and trucks travelling behind the lead
vehicle. BBC News
A void paved over with concrete — opinion
What’s the cost for living our American way? It’s not just the
thousands of dollars for the second car, insurance and gas. We also
have to support a lake of concrete around us – and gas, electric and
sewer lines to stretch out past the near-vacant belts beyond the older
suburbs. Property taxes in Almería on our condo are one-twelfth our
taxes in Milwaukee, even though the value of the two homes is roughly
the same. That’s a lot of concrete, wire and pipes to keep up – and
patrol. Milwaukee’s close suburbs have residential streets that have
room for two lanes of traffic going each way, plus both parking and
turning lanes. Six lanes of concrete…Our cities (and Milwaukee still
remains one of the most attractive) are dead zones with small pods of
life barricaded between the elements that support the passage, storage
and care of cars. In our most densely trafficked sidewalks, it is a
hundred feet between businesses whose windows have a chance of being
interesting to look in at while walking past. Throw in a bank or two
and one has to take a taxi to get between shops where people congregate
over a cup of coffee or buy a shirt. No wonder we all drive. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Calls for pedestrian safety grow louder
The Dangerous by Design report on
pedestrian fatalities from Transportation for America and the Surface
Transportation Policy Partnership has been getting a lot of attention.
The data in the report gives advocates a powerful tool when talking to
local officials about the need for safer streets. In Chicago, the
Active Transportation Alliance rallied at an intersection where a
pedestrian was killed in a hit-and-run last month to demand safer
conditions in that city. Five Chicagoans have died in the last month
after being hit by drivers. Streets Blog
<Happy states
The reasoning is that wealthy states can provide infrastructure and so
it’s easier for residents to get their needs met. In addition, states
with a greater proportion of artists and gays would also be places
where residents can freely express themselves. On average, well-being
was highest in the Mountain states and West Coast states, followed by
the Eastern Seaboard and then the Midwest and Southern states. Inland News Today
IL: Deal to stem fare hikes for disabled riders
As many as 40,000 disabled riders could avoid further fare increases
after the state and the Regional Transportation Authority agreed on
ways to find more money for paratransit services. Chicago Tribune
KS: Wind energy in Kansas hampered by lack of power lines
Driving through western Kansas, you’ll see hundreds of whirling wind
turbines. But you won’t see lots of people — or high-voltage power
lines. And that is the big obstacle to realizing the wind-energy
potential of Kansas and the Midwest: You can put up all the towers and
turbines you like, but without more transmission lines, the added
electricity won’t get to the cities that could use it. The Kansas
City Star

Headlines
Path to good health, less pollution is the sidewalk: report
May need to raise gasoline tax – Sen. Durbin
Thanksgiving drivers will find fewer open rest stops
MI: Metro Detroit’s roads of ruin
NV: Las Vegas gambles with uncertain water future
CA: SF Bay Bridge’s many problems
MD: Economy taking toll on road projects


[click on link below for articles]
News summaries
Path to good health, less pollution is the sidewalk: report
Designing towns and cities to make it more appealing and safer to walk
or ride a bike would not only help fight the US obesity epidemic and
improve health but would also reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air
pollution, a report issued by the Surface Transportation Policy
Partnership and Transportation for America said. Currently, no state
spends more than five percent of federal transportation funds on
projects that could improve pedestrian and cyclist safety, such as
building more sidewalks or "zebra crossings," the report said…Too
often, walkers take their lives into their hands in the United States,
where streets are "engineered for speeding cars and make little or no
provision for people on foot, in wheelchairs or on a bicycle," the
report said. More than 76,000 Americans have been killed while crossing
or walking along a street in their community. Forty percent of US
communities either don’t have sidewalks or have inadequate ones, the
report pointed out. Pedestrians comprise nearly 12 percent of all
traffic deaths in the United States. But less than 1.5 percent of funds
authorized under a 2005 federal transportation law have been allocated
to projects to improve the safety of pedestrians and cyclists, the
report said, calling for government funding for walker and bicycle
infrastructure to be boosted to match, in percentage terms, the ratio
of traffic fatalities. AFP
May need to raise gasoline tax – Sen. Durbin
The U.S. Senate’s No. 2 Democrat believes Congress may need to raise
the federal gasoline tax as early as next year to boost spending on
highway projects, his spokesman confirmed Tuesday, as lawmakers renew
their push for a major highway-construction bill. NASDAQ
Thanksgiving drivers will find fewer open rest stops
Several states have shuttered rest areas because of financial woes.
Some say they’re no longer necessary with the growth of fast food
restaurants, gas stations and other facilities at interstate interchanges.
Try telling that to a family with a crying child who has to go the bathroom.
Or to a driver who feels drowsy. Or to a dog owner whose pet needs to be
walked.Some states are looking at the possibility of seeking a waiver that
would allow them to privatize operation of rest areas as a way to keep them
going. USA Today ‎
MI: Metro Detroit’s roads of ruin
The percentage of Michigan roads in poor shape increased from 27% in
2007 to 32% last year, according to an analysis released Monday.
Michigan is losing ground — literally and figuratively — and not even
an infusion of stimulus dollars has halted the decline, according to
the Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association, which
released the report. The analysis found Wayne County and Detroit have
the most miles of roadway in the state in poor condition. MITA said
the situation will get worse once the federal stimulus money runs out
in 2011. The state may end up turning back hundreds of millions of
federal road dollars because it can’t afford the required matching
funds. Detroit Free Press
NV: Las Vegas gambles with uncertain water future
Across the United States, water managers are beginning to grapple with
climate change. And it’s changing the way they think about almost
everything. For the utilities that supply the nation’s drinking water,
one of the first casualties is the idea that the conditions of the past
can predict the future. For planners who are used to taking the long
view — constructing expensive infrastructure that’s expected to last
30, 40, 50 years, or even longer — climate change is changing their
rules, introducing new and hard-to-define levels of risk. "You have to
plan decades ahead, in terms of water supply and source water needs,"
said Dan Hartnett, director of legislative affairs for the Association
of Metropolitan Water Agencies. "It’s too late if you wake up one
morning and the tap runs dry." Climate Wire
CA: SF Bay Bridge’s many problems
Like any old structure, the eastern span has many flaws, and because of
its design, is considered more prone than other bridges to collapse
during an earthquake. The flaws considered most serious by engineers
and geologists include the span’s foundations, its network of steel
supports, and the supports for the road deck, which were what failed in
the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. San Francisco Chronicle
MD: Economy taking toll on road projects
The recession may be over according to some economic data, but budget
issues are lingering in Maryland’s transportation plans. The Capital

Headlines
Blumenauer bikes NYC
Watch this Streetfilm to hear Rep Blumenauer’s (D-OR) thoughts on the
big federal transportation bill, the emergence of a national movement
for safe biking and walking, and the difference between protected bike
lanes and regular old Class 2 facilities. DC Streetsblog
Congress poised to keep homebuyers’ tax credit
The Senate and House are poised to agree on a compromise measure to
extend unemployment benefits that also would expand a popular $8,000
tax credit for homebuyers, despite a recent government report on
extensive mistakes and suspected fraud in the program…Critics
complain that most of the credits go to taxpayers who would have bought
their homes anyway, which even the industry acknowledges. Also, a
Congressional subcommittee released a Treasury Department report last
month about suspected criminal and civil abuses of the program. The New York Times
PA: Philly mayor, Gov blast union for surprise strike
As hundreds of thousands of commuters and schoolchildren braced for a
second day without public transit, Gov. Rendell and Mayor Nutter
chastised union leaders for calling the surprise predawn strike. The Philadelphia Inquirer

Headlines
Job-creation panel leery of spending
Fiscal blood on the tracks – op ed
Buffett’s bet on Burlington
Regulators want more authority over power grid
NY: Where all that money went
CA: LA mass transit on fast track
FL: Operation transit shield

[click on link below for articles]
News summaries
Job-creation panel leery of spending
A top White House advisory committee Monday recommended ways to expand
jobs in exports, energy-efficient buildings and infrastructure, but in
an apparent nod to the U.S.’s growing debt, stopped short of suggesting
such policies be promoted by large federal spending…On
infrastructure, panel members suggested leveraging private-sector
investments through several devices, such as a national infrastructure
bank. Mr. Obama proposed an infrastructure bank during the presidential
campaign last year, but it largely disappeared from the big $787
billion stimulus bill last winter. The Wall Street Journal
Fiscal blood on the tracks – op ed
Like a tsunami that follows an undersea earthquake, collateral damage
from the collapse of credit markets is about to strike the millions of
daily transit riders in America’s biggest cities. Public transit
agencies in cities including New York, Atlanta, San Francisco and
Washington are under pressure to surrender $2 billion from their
budgets because financial institutions have spotted a chance to gain a
windfall from complicated tax-shelter deals known as “leasebacks.”…
Transit agencies like New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority
would sell their railcars and other equipment to banks, which would
then lease them back to the agencies. Leasebacks appeared to promise
that everyone would emerge a winner. …Alas, as with any quick fix,
the deals have set off a cascade of problems….By rights, they [banks]
can immediately demand from transit authorities an amount equal to all
their anticipated tax savings. These can run to hundreds of millions of
dollars — New Jersey Transit alone is on the hook for $150 million. –
Mitchell L. Moss is a professor of urban policy and planning at New
York University’s Wagner Graduate School of Public Service. The New York Times
Buffett’s bet on Burlington
The financial world was riveted this morning by billionaire investor
Warren Buffett’s move to take full ownership of the Burlington Northern
Santa Fe (BNSF) railroad, a $34 billion deal that ranks as the largest
ever executed by Buffett’s company, Berkshire Hathaway. But what does
Buffett’s purchase mean for the nation’s energy future? The so-called
"Oracle of Omaha" told CNBC today that his decision was "a bet on the
country" as well as a bet on the viability of cleaner transportation: DC Streetsblog
Regulators want more authority over power grid
Oversight agencies support House bills that would fill gaps in current
law. Regulators overseeing the nation’s power generation and
distribution system say this critical infrastructure is at risk because
they do not have the power to quickly respond to threats and
vulnerabilities to the system. ..“The [Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission’s] current authority is not adequate to address cyber or
other national security threats to the reliability of our transmission
and power system,” Joseph McClelland, director of FERC’s Office of
Electric Reliability, told the Energy and Commerce subcommittee on
Energy and the Environment. “These types of threats pose an increasing
risk to our nation’s electric grid, which undergirds our government and
economy and helps ensure the health and welfare of our citizens.
Congress should address this risk now.” Two bills, HR 2165, the Bulk
Power System Protection Act of 2009, and HR 2195, an amednment to the
Federal Power Act, have been introduced in the House to revamp security
regulation of the nation’s power grid. The bulk power system is defined
by law as generation and high voltage transmission systems, and does
not include distribution substations and lower voltage networks that
distribute electricity to customers. Alaska, Hawaii, and Guam are
specifically excluded from reliability regulations, as are many major
cities and population centers such as New York and Washington, D.C. Government Computer News
NY: Where all that money went
While many people may think of road construction and bridge repair when
they hear the term "stimulus funds," much of the $18 billion
distributed so far to New York under the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act has gone not to infrastructure, but to individuals –
in the form of welfare payments, unemployment insurance and tax
breaks. Albany Times Union
CA: LA mass transit on fast track
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa proposed borrowing to speed
construction on $20 billion of mass transit projects approved by L.A.
County voters last year. The
Bond Buyer ($)
FL: Operation transit shield
Local, state and federal law enforcement officials are taking aim at
potential terrorists and kicking off a campaign to keep South Florida’s
Tri-Rail transit system safe this fall. The Sun-Sentinel

Headlines
Obama: ‘More creative’ ways to pay for infrastructure
Congress gives transportation six weeks
Stimulus outlays by state
MD: Study calls Md. smart growth a flop
NY: Taxes for road repairs raided by state
CA: Bay bridge reopens
CA: Bridge shutdown puts transportation network in the spotlight
FL: Miami gets ‘smart grid’ for their stimulus money
OR: State panel clears road projects under new law
PA: Bike lanes everywhere you look
PA: PennDOT ramping up efforts on curb cuts

[click on link below for articles]

New summaries
Obama: ‘More creative’ ways to pay for infrastructure
At a meeting today with his outside economic recovery advisers,
President Obama emphasized the importance of shoring up the nation’s
crumbling infrastructure but warned that the mounting federal deficit
would require "more creative, new approaches to financing" investment
in transit, bridges, and road repairs. DC Streets Blog
Congress gives transportation six weeks
Congress on Thursday gave a six-week lease on life to a transportation
spending law that expired Sept. 30. The extension to Dec. 18 of the
highway program known as SAFETEA-LU was part of a continuing resolution
for portions of the federal government for which Congress has not
approved a 2010 budget. There is still no agreement on a longer
extension of the highway law, which has been a contentious subject
between Senate and House transportation leaders. The Journal of Commerce
Stimulus outlays by state
The Obama administration said that the U.S’s fiscal stimulus program,
with $159 billion in outlays through Sept. 30, has helped create or
save around 640,000 jobs. Below, see how the money spent so far has
been distributed state by state, and the number of jobs the government
says have been created. The Wall Street Journal
MD: Study calls Md. smart growth a flop
An innovative policy to fight suburban sprawl catapulted Maryland into
the national spotlight a decade ago and became then-Gov. Parris N.
Glendening’s principal legacy. But a new study says the law has been a
bust, largely because it has no teeth to force local governments to
comply and because builders have little incentive to redevelop older
urban neighborhoods….Across Maryland, three-quarters of the lots
consumed by single-family homes in the past decade rose on pastures and
woods outside smart-growth areas designated by local governments, about
the same number as before the law passed. From 1998 to 2006,
development outside smart-growth areas in Montgomery County consumed an
average of 915 acres a year; in Prince George’s County, it averaged 486
acres a year. State planners have failed to prod local governments,
which wield enormous control over land use, to approve dense projects
in smart-growth areas, the study says. Maryland officials have
authorized dozens of exceptions to the law, and many projects in the
pipeline in 1998 were allowed to be built. And toll roads, including
the Intercounty Connector underway outside the Capital Beltway, are
exempt from smart-growth restrictions. The Washington Post
NY: Taxes for road repairs raided by state
Highway and motor vehicle taxes dedicated to road and bridge repairs
continue to be raided to pay the state’s operating expenses, leading to
a deterioration of New York’s infrastructure, according to a report
from the Comptroller’s Office. Rochester Democratic and Chronicle
CA: Bay bridge reopens
The Bay Bridge reopened just after 9 a.m. today, six days after a
repair job on a cracked structural beam on the eastern span fell apart
and plunged onto the upper deck. San Francisco Chronicle
CA: Bridge shutdown puts transportation network in the spotlight
Despite similar predictions of chaos and gridlock, commuters, transit
agencies and officials effectively coped with the collapse of a major
overpass near the Bay Bridge in April 2007. Many drivers quickly
developed alternate routes or shifted their schedule, BART was
effective at expanding capacity and major thoroughfares were crowded,
but not gridlocked…Part of the Bay Area’s ability to cope is the
investment they’ve made in a variety of transportation options and
modes. Which begs the question, how would metropolitan areas that lack
these alternatives fare if a similar incident occurred? Diversity of
options isn’t just about cutting emissions or reducing fuel
consumption. A complete network is one that can continue functioning
when a few parts go down. A city dependent completely on cars and
interstates (or 1 or 2 transit lines) is a vulnerable city. Transportation 4 America
FL: Miami gets ‘smart grid’ for their stimulus money
Florida is getting $200 million in stimulus money to create a “smart
grid” for utility customers that should result in lower electric
usage, government officials announced Tuesday morning. Miami
Herald
OR: State panel clears road projects under new law
The Oregon Transportation Commission has approved the first 14 projects
under the 2009 law that will fund an estimated $3 billion in projects
over the next decade. Statesman Journal
PA: Bike lanes everywhere you look
The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia links to a local TV news
story about how illegally parked cars and even construction materials
are frequently blocking newly created bike lanes in that city. Streetsblog Network
PA: PennDOT ramping up efforts on curb cuts
Lawsuits have prompted the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation to
budget $820 million over the next decade to replace 117,000 handicapped
curb ramps along state roads — a program that attorneys say would be
unnecessary had the agency installed the ramps properly the first
time. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Headlines
Gas tax talk re-emerges
Preparing our transpo system for climate change
U.S. needs billions for infrastructure
Rep. Earl Blumenauer announcing livable communities task force
Could Congress double highway spending bill?
Nudging recycling from less waste to none
Cities look to incinerators
16 cities leading way in climate change fight

[click on link below for articles]
News summaries
Gas tax talk re-emerges
Tight government budgets for road upkeep – rather than environmental
concerns – are forcing a gas tax back onto the agenda. Reuters
Preparing our transpo system for climate change
Planners and elected leaders are not doing enough to prepare our
transportation infrastructure for global warming’s effects. That was
the message of Friday’s panel discussion, “Perspectives on Adaptation
to Climate Change,” hosted by the Engineers Forum on Sustainability. The City Fix
U.S. needs billions for infrastructure
The nation’s infrastructure has decayed to the point that the country
has no other choice but to fix and upgrade its grid so it can handle
climate change, a growing population and globalization, said a leading
national planning expert. Tom Murphy, Urban Land Institute senior
resident fellow, said the European Union, China and India have worked
to bring their infrastructure systems up-to-date, while America’s
hasn’t received a major boost since the 1950s. Jacksonville Business Journal
Rep. Earl Blumenauer announcing livable communities task force
The Task Force is made up of 20 members from around the nation who are
leaders on everything from transportation and building efficiency to
renewable energy and community gardening. In the coming months, we will
work with members of the administration to hold briefings and strategy
sessions on everything from the livability provisions in the energy and
climate legislation that passed the House to the pending transportation
re-authorization. LA Streetsblog
Could Congress double highway spending bill?
The highway authorization bill is still being debated in Washington,
D.C., with proposals ranging from simply extending it to nearly
doubling it and changing the way it is funded. Tom Murphy, Urban Land
Institute senior resident fellow, said some legislators are proposing
increasing it from roughly $25 billion to $50 billion. Murphy spoke
Tuesday at the 2009 Global Trade & Transportation Symposium. The
question, he said, is how to fund it since fuel taxes bring in less
revenue because people are driving less. Jacksonville Business Journal
Nudging recycling from less waste to none
Across the nation, an antigarbage strategy known as “zero waste” is
moving from the fringes to the mainstream, taking hold in school
cafeterias, national parks, restaurants, stadiums and corporations. The New York Times
Cities look to incinerators
Groups argue over whether benefits of green technology outweigh the
possible health effects associated with burning garbage. Canwest
16 cities leading way in climate change fight
Long before Congress started to take the threat of climate change
seriously, American mayors were already recognizing the need to
decrease fossil-fuel consumption, promote efficiency, and generally
create more livable places. DC Streetsblog