Streetsblog: The Long, Ugly Road to a Federal Transportation Plan

From Streetsblog:

You've likely been hearing a lot, on this blog and others, about the coming expiration of the federal transportation bill. Come September 30, Congress has to have a plan in hand to fund the nation's trains, buses, bikes, bridges and roads -- or pass an extension of the 2005 federal bill, locking in the same spending patterns that have nurtured Americans' addiction to the automobile. The federal transportation policy process: Thanks for clearing that up, guys! (Source: U.S. DOT). But the odds are that you haven't heard much about how the process works. What has to happen in order for Congress to meet that September deadline? Well, if you're a fan of unnecessarily complicated Washington jargon, the federal DOT has a flow chart on the subject (pictured on the right)...