Legislation
The Difference between License Plates in the U.S. and Europe
Vehicular registration plates, more commonly known as license plates, are the go-to method of automobile identification throughout the world. Different parts of the globe have differing regulations when it comes to license plates, with the United States and Europe featuring varying methods of vehicle identification. History of the License Plate License plates, as it turns […]
Congress’s transportation problems (and projects)
Congress is currently facing a tempest of transportation issues. First and foremost is the impending budget deadline, fast approaching on May 31, but there are other looming problems and projects, too, including regulatory agency vacancies that are drawing attention to transportation safety, as well as renewed efforts to reinstate Amtrak service between New Orleans and […]
Legal pot leads to drugged driving concerns, says AAA study
As recreational marijuana use is legalized in Oregon, Washington, the District of Columbia, Alaska and Colorado, safety advocates and ordinary Americans alike are concerned over the impact of driving while impaired, according to a new study from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. The analysis found that over 50% of those surveyed reported feeling that […]
Americans’ taxes subsidize congestion, study finds
The federal government is working at cross purposes with itself and local and state governments. In a study released last week by TransitCenter and Frontier Group, researchers discovered that federal tax subsidies are undermining transportation goals established by multiple levels of government. This discovery came through a review of commuter tax benefits. Currently, employers can […]
Voters react to transportation initiatives
The massive Republican gains of the 2014 midterm elections don’t give fans of alternative modes of transit much cause to celebrate. Of late, conservative transportation policy has favored highways that serve rural and exurban constituencies rather than services like high-speed rail, buses, or bicycles that support balanced urban and regional transit. Republican victories at multiple levels […]
NC to recommend new fees affecting developers, billboard companies
On Thursday, November 6, the North Carolina Board of Transportation will vote on recommendations to implement fees affecting developers and billboard companies. The board’s action follows its October 1 meeting, when Mike Holder, chief engineer for the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), recommended the fees. Currently, developers and outdoor advertisers pay fees to local governments for […]
On the brink of the largest recall in U.S. history
Members of Congress are calling faulty air bags from Japanese manufacturer Takata “a public safety threat,” foreshadowing what could become the country’s largest recall in history and prompting skepticism about automakers’ ability to manage the recall. It could be massive, affecting more than 30 million cars and trucks — top-selling models from Honda, Toyota, Chrysler, […]
10 months in: New York’s Vision Zero in comparison
Numbers released by the NYPD last week count 202 traffic fatalities in New York City between January and October 17, a decrease of roughly 10% from a similar period in 2013 (January through the end of October). Predictably, the press and public—products of the city’s hurry-up, get-‘er-done-yesterday culture—are expressing impatience with Vision Zero, Mayor de […]
Sen. Boxer (D-CA) speaks out on highway fund
Senator Barbara Boxer, Democrat of California, announced in a recent letter that salvaging the Highway Trust Fund is a major focus of her office, reports the blog Better Roads. Boxer, in a letter addressed to Congressman Dave Camp, Chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means, and Congressman Sander Levin, reads, “Although Congress passed […]
Should federal transport spending take job creation into account?
Even as the amount of federal funding awarded to contractors falls, there’s broad recognition that the country must invest in its transportation infrastructure. Earlier this week the Council on Foreign Relations released Transportation Infrastructure: Moving America, its report on America’s aging transportation network, while policy wonks such as former U.S. Treasury Secretary Larry Summers and former […]
Growing pains for San Francisco’s car-sharing initiative
The parking-lot business is feeling the heat of San Francisco’s real estate market: private lots are being sold for new development, lowering the number of parking spaces in the city. That trend is affecting the public’s view of San Francisco’s car-sharing initiative. Announced in the spring, the program reserves 900 on-street parking spots for three […]