Fifty cents on the dollar for Illinois roads

John Latta - May 16, 2013

A road in Naperville, Illinois, undergoes construction in 2009. (Photo: Michael Kappel / Flickr) At a time when funding for roads and bridges--what there is of it--is squeezed to the maximum (a situation that isn’t likely to change any time ...

Where Interstate 20 crosses Interstate Bob

John Latta - May 15, 2013

(Photo: Aijalyn Kohler / Flickr) Are we approaching an intersection, where Public Street and Private Road meet? And if we are, is that intersection a confusing place in need of significant upgrading if it is to benefit the traveling public? Yep. Public-private ...

Let’s start ramping up reauthorization pressure

John Latta - May 02, 2013

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has, helpfully, stated the obvious. The CBO is essentially confirming for us that when reauthorization rolls about next September, MAP-21’s replacement, facing a nearly bankrupt Highway Trust Fund, will either have to dive into the General ...

Transportation funding talks remain stagnant

Amanda Bayhi - Mar 25, 2013

The debate over transportation funding continues as MAP-21’s expiration date—September 2014—inches closer and closer. Congressional discussions about how to increase funding are seemingly going nowhere, Politico reported. While transportation funding, particularly the Highway Trust Fund, continues to decrease, ideas about an increase ...

Depends what you mean by “relevant” or “earmark.”

John Latta - Mar 22, 2013

When it comes to transportation infrastructure, what is "relevant" and what is an "earmark?" The debate arises courtesy of Minnesota Republican Representative and former Presidential candidate Michelle Bachmann. And while the debate comes from a meeting where she spoke, it is ...

Hey Congressman, watch this ARTBA video

John Latta - Mar 12, 2013

The American Roads and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) has released a new video. The message is old. That's kind of the point. The message has been the same for years now. Fix the Highway Trust Fund. So the message is ...

White House releases transportation infrastructure ‘plan’

John Latta - Feb 20, 2013

The White House has released a statement called "The President's Plan to Make America a Magnet for Jobs by Investing in Infrastructure." The plan repeats the president's State of the Union "fix it first" idea, claiming that, "Repair and maintenance ...

President pushes transportation construction speed-up in TV meetings

John Latta - Feb 20, 2013

President Obama is set to sit down today for interviews with half a dozen television stations from major cities to push a plan that will speed up transportation construction projects. This has been a clearly-stated and much publicized goal of ...

Somebody blinked: States making moves for transportation infrastructure funds

John Latta - Feb 19, 2013

As the inevitability of dwindling fuel tax revenues keeps butting heads with the inevitable need for more funding for transportation infrastructure, something has to give. States are now making moves instead of just talking about them, as this New York ...

Maryland governor looking for new transportation funding

Tina Grady Barbaccia - Feb 18, 2013

This from the Washington Post: Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley met with Senate Democrats on Tuesday as part of a continuing effort to craft a bill to raise hundreds of millions of dollars in additional revenue for transportation projects, an aide said More ...

Cyclists getting “doored”: that’s got to hurt

John Latta - Feb 14, 2013

It would be one of those "this is going to hurt" moments that you know is happening but you can't avoid. As the push to do more for cyclists gains momentum, how does your state stand on "dooring". This story points ...

Maryland Governor Looking for New Transportation Funding

John Latta - Feb 13, 2013

This from the Washington Post: Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley met with Senate Democrats on Tuesday as part of a continuing effort to craft a bill to raise hundreds of millions of dollars in additional revenue for transportation projects, an aide said More ...