Infrastructure in the News: July 12, 2012

NATIONAL NEWS

Huffington Post: Public Transportation: A Missed Opportunity to Create Jobs
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lawrence-j-hanley/public-transportation-jobs_b_1662270.html
Investment in public transportation can stimulate the economy and create jobs. More than 570 jobs are created for each $10 million invested in the short term. According to the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), every $1 billion invested in public transportation creates and supports 36,000 American jobs. That is real job growth.

The Hill: LaHood: Obama high-speed rail effort 'off to a good start,despite GOP opposition
http://thehill.com/blogs/transportation-report/railroads/237271-lahood-us-high-speed-rail-effort-off-to-a-good-start
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said Wednesday that the Obama administration's high-speed rail proposals have gotten off to a "good start" despite rejections by several Republican state officials. Speaking at the start of the World Congress on High-Speed Rail in Philadelphia, LaHood said the rejection of rail money by GOP governors in states like Florida, Wisconsin and Ohio was offset by a recent approval in California.

Philadelphia Inquirer: Transportation secretary: High-speed rail 'long overdue'
http://www.philly.com/philly/business/162136255.html
Comparing bullet trains to grand American achievements of the past, President Obama's transportation chief said benefits of a high-speed rail network would far outweigh the multibillion-dollar costs, and he said political opponents are on the wrong side of history. About 1,000 high-speed rail executives, manufacturers, and transport officials from 37 countries are meeting in the United States for the first time, hoping to boost prospects for fast trains in a country that would provide a vast market for equipment, vehicles, and construction projects. 

The Hill: Senate committee to review 'global competitiveness' of US airlines
http://thehill.com/blogs/transportation-report/aviation/237365-senate-committee-to-review-global-competitiveness-of-us-airlines
A key Senate committee will hold a hearing next week about the competitiveness of U.S. airlines in the international aviation industry. The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation's Aviation Operations, Safety and Security subcommittee will meet July 18 to address "competition issues to maintain U.S. leadership in the aerospace market," officials with the panel said Wednesday.

STATE NEWS

Associated Press: NJ Transit OKs budget that keeps fares unchanged
http://online.wsj.com/article/AP0fb3f8672294445c91a61c1d69cf9c77.html
New Jersey Transit's board of directors has approved a $1.9 billion operating budget that does not call for a fare increase. Executive Director Jim Weinstein says the budget approved Wednesday grew by just one-half of one percent from the previous fiscal year, which he says is NJ Transit's second lowest overall growth rate in the last 15 years.

Salt Lake Tribune: SLC tops nation in transit connecting people and jobs
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/54470965-78/transit-percent-area-jobs.html.csp
It’s a lofty statistic that may help keep an improving local economy on track: The Salt Lake City metro area’s trains and buses now rank as the nation’s best in connecting people to jobs. A new study shows 64.1 percent of the area’s residents can reach a typical job within a 90-minute transit ride — a 10-percentage-point jump from last year, when the area ranked third nationally.