Infrastructure in the News: April 23, 2015
NATIONAL NEWS
Washington Post: The U.S.’s energy infrastructure will need major changes, says Obama report
The U.S. electric grid will require major changes to reposition itself for the future challenges of climate change, new technologies, and national security in coming decades, according to a first-ever “Quadrennial Energy Review” released by the Obama administration.
STATE NEWS
New York Times: How Do We Protect New York City’s Pedestrians?
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/26/magazine/how-do-we-protect-new-york-citys-pedestrians.html?_r=0
When a car hit John Longo as he crossed Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn in December 2013, he was tossed skyward, high and far enough that he had time to contemplate his flight. “I remember thinking, I’ve been in the air too long,” says Longo, whose 230-pound, 47-year-old body landed 20 feet from where it started. He does not remember hitting the asphalt (he landed on his head), but he recalls stumbling to a slender median dividing Atlantic and saying out loud, to no one in particular, “Please let me live, please let me live.” He was bleeding from the back of his head, but he felt little pain, only a numbness in his arm, which was the first clue, paramedics eventually told him, that he probably had spinal damage.
AP: Massachusetts Governor Proposes Overhaul of Transit System
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/04/22/us/ap-us-boston-transit-overhaul.html
BOSTON — Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker is hoping to gain control of Boston's public transit system after pounding snowstorms this winter slowed the nation's oldest subway system to a crawl, frustrating hundreds of thousands of riders.
Washington Post: Should Virginia tap the brakes on plans for I-66 HOT lanes?
You raised some interesting points in the HOV vs. HOT lane debate. However, I think one of the major — and sometimes overlooked — drawbacks of high-occupancy toll lanes is the fact that they inadvertently contribute to the transportation inequity problem.
Columbus Underground: COTA Approves New Bus Pass Program for Downtown Workforce
http://www.columbusunderground.com/cota-approves-new-bus-pass-program-for-downtown-workforce
If you’ve attended the Ohio State University, then you’re likely familiar with the ability to ride COTA buses “for free” with your BuckID (it’s actually paid for by the Ohio State University and rolled into tuition fees, but there is no charge taking place during the boarding process). The convenience allows a very large population of potential COTA riders to have very easy access at their fingertips. As of today, a similar program is scheduled for testing with several large Downtown employers.
Dallas Morning News: Senate votes to ban use of red-light cameras by Texas cities
Red-light cameras in Dallas and other Texas cities would be gradually shut down under legislation approved Wednesday by the Senate.
National Journal: Atlanta's Own High Line May Finally Erase Some Racial Divisions
In Atlanta, change sounds like a squeaky bike chain.
When Rebecca Serna heard the falsetto choir of rusted bikes, recently dusted off from forgotten garage corners, she knew the BeltLine was working. The ambitious, multibillion-dollar project is turning 22 miles of abandoned, kudzu-laden railroad tracks that encircle the heart of the city into a network of parks and trails. It's like the High Line in Manhattan, but to a much larger scale.
New York Times: Mayor de Blasio Revives Plan for a Utica Avenue Subway Line
Among the far-reaching ambitions of Mayor Bill de Blasio’s OneNYC plan, one proposal stood out in the transportation world on Wednesday: the study of a new subway line along Utica Avenue in Brooklyn.
Austin Monitor: Drop in poverty rate likely due to displacement
http://www.austinmonitor.com/stories/2015/04/drop-poverty-rate-likely-due-displacement/
When the poverty rate in a city drops, many would consider it a cause for celebration. In Austin, however, where property value increases have outpaced family income growth for decades, that is not the case.
Texas A&M Transportation Institute: To ensure a healthy building industry, our state needs a viable transportation system
The state demographer recently released new projections that predict Texas’ population will double to 54.4 million by 2050. As population centers and economies in Texas continue to grow, the role of the building industry is pretty straightforward: Create and/or expand business and residential spaces to meet the demand for those spaces. In short, build more.
POLITICO MORNING TRANSPORTATION
By Jennifer Scholtes | 4/23/15 5:46 AM EST
With help from Heather Caygle.
SENATORS MARCH AHEAD WITH FACT-FINDING FOR FAA REAUTH: The Senate Commerce Committee’s aviation panel this morning holds the second in its rapid-fire series of hearings on reauthorizing the FAA, focusing this time on scrounging up money for aviation infrastructure. The subcommittee heard earlier this week from a top FAA official and is slated to hear from an agency head again next week, but today is all about input from airlines and airports. Watch live at 9:45 a.m.: http://1.usa.gov/1O8Cw7j
‘Get out of the way’: Todd Hauptli, president and CEO of the American Association of Airport Executives, is expected to tell the lawmakers that raising the cap on passenger facility charges is the best way to give airports the resources they need to pay for infrastructure without digging the country further into debt. “If the federal government can’t — or won’t — provide airports with enough federal funds, it should get out of the way and let airports generate local revenues themselves,” Hauptli said in a written statement this week.
‘Already-deep coffers’: Offline, those who represent travelers are making a case for retaining the cap on the passenger facility charge. “It’s time for the airports to stop looking to business travelers to fill their already deep coffers,” Michael McCormick, the Global Business Travel Association’s executive director and COO, said in a written statement ahead of the hearing. “It’s clear: travel should be promoted, rather than taxed ad nauseam.” The group says the majority of its members oppose a fee hike and that airports don’t need the money.
ROGERS SPARES TRANSPORTATION FUNDING FROM DEEPEST CUTS: The House Appropriations Committee has just agreed on a spending blueprint that demands deep cuts from President Barack Obama’s domestic budget. But Pro’s David Rogers explains that Chairman Hal Rogers has learned from past mistakes and is “taking care to add money to protect transportation and housing programs, a giant bill which famously undid the whole appropriations process two summers ago.” Read on: http://politi.co/1EdEYTB
THURSDAY — ALMOST THERE: Good morning and thanks for reading POLITICO’s Morning Transportation, your daily tipsheet on trains, planes, automobiles and ports.
Regardless of your mode of transportation, we hope you’ve got a little good-Samaritan inspiration on your commute this morning after hearing about those guys who jumped down to hoist a man and his wheelchair from the Metro tracks yesterday, just before a train was set to arrive: http://bit.ly/1FfP5rK.
Reach out: @jascholtes or jscholtes@politico.com.
“Texas plates, candy-apple red Rodeo.” http://bit.ly/1DjJkEX
FREIGHT LEADERS HIT UP THE HILL: Those in the freight movement industry will gather again this morning to wrap up the Coalition for America’s Gateways and Trade Corridors’ annual meeting. The group’s members were on the Hill this week, hearing from Reps. Peter DeFazio, Earl Blumenauer, Alan Lowenthal and Richard Hanna. On the Senate side, aides from the Commerce Committee and EPW laid out legislative prospects for transportation policy, and Sen. Tom Carper gave his two cents.
Help wanted: As the coalition readies for day two of its annual meeting, one overarching message is emerging from lawmakers, staffers and industry folks: Nobody is exactly sure what's going to happen with the Highway Trust Fund over the next few months. Sure, Congress isn't going to let the fund run out of money in mid to late July, but just how and when they get to a solution is still unclear. Lawmakers have different ideas for what a short-term fix should look like — some say a policy extension through July, while others are pushing for more robust patches that go through September or until the end of the year — and no clear consensus has emerged. Rep. Richard Hanna summed it up well on Wednesday: Congress is better at working with an alarm clock than a calendar (for better or worse). And now that there's some wiggle room in funding levels, this issue could drag on well into summer before a path forward emerges.
BROWN MAKES ‘BUY AMERICA’ TRANSPO PUSH: Sen. Sherrod Brown is expected to use his time behind the microphone this morning at the Banking Committee’s hearing to again encourage his colleagues to bolster requirements that give preference to American-made materials for taxpayer-funded transportation projects, pointing to the fact that current Buy America rules do not require manufacturers to make buses and rail car frames with American steel. At the panel’s 10 a.m. hearing on reauthorizing surface transportation programs, the senator is also expected to press industry witnesses for their take on plans for the next transportation bill lawmakers are working on while reviewing the FTA’s safety authority under MAP-21. Watch live: http://1.usa.gov/1aOxHxK
TRANSPORTATION UNIONS BUCK PAC MONEY FREEZE: The Air Line Pilots Association, the Transport Workers Union of America and United Transportation Union are among the unions defying the AFL-CIO’s moratorium on federal PAC contributions. Pro’s Brian Mahoney and Marianne Levine explain that a slew of unions are declining to participate in the campaign spending freeze AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka imposed last month to pressure Democrats into opposing President Barack Obama’s trade agenda. More from Pro: http://politico.pro/1bxVy5V.
CHAFFETZ DENOUNCES FAA’S ABSENCE AT ‘GYROCOPTER’ BRIEFING: House Oversight Chairman Jason Chaffetz says the FAA is going to have “a lot of explaining to do” at the hearing his panel is holding next week on the “gyrocopter” that landed on the Capitol lawn last week. The chairman emerged Wednesday night from a briefing on the incident, slamming the FAA for not showing up to the meeting. “I think their absence speaks volumes,” he told reporters. “But they didn’t seem to show up to the event of the gyrocopter either.” The chairman said his panel will question FAA officials during next week’s hearing on “the core question about visibility,” noting that the Florida mailman was able to fly the gyrocopter for about 30 miles in restricted airspace. http://politico.pro/1DQuM1T.
Human error: Chaffetz said “human error” was to blame for the incident and that multiple weapons systems were focused on the mailman before a decision was made not to fire. Chaffetz and his Democratic counterpart, ranking member Elijah Cummings, both said the federal government needs to send a message to would-be terrorists that any aircraft flying so close to the Capitol will be shot down. "I want them to be taken down and taken down hard,” Chaffetz said. “If it was up to me, I would have taken care of the problem.” More from POLITICO’s Lauren French: http://politi.co/1Gkmb8J.
PETS ALLOWED TO RIDE ILLINOIS AMTRAK FOR GOOD: So you mean to say 200 animals rode on trains in Illinois last year and none of them pooped in the dining car? It’s hard to believe, but the train service and the state’s DOT released a statement this week explaining that pets have been allowed to accompany passengers traveling between Chicago and Quincy for nearly a year, and “during that time, some 200 animals have accompanied passengers without a single complaint or incident.” The test run went so well, they say, that the program is now being made permanent instead of expiring this month. Amtrak’s pet rules: http://bit.ly/1EcFOQs.
The bulldog coalition: In the passenger rail bill the House passed last month, Rep. Jeff Denham added language requiring Amtrak to do a broader pilot program to allow at least one car on each train for passengers carrying “a domesticated cat or dog in the same manner as carry-on baggage.” Denham’s furry friend, Lily the French bulldog, would be his canine companion of choice for train travel. A refresher on those pilot program provisions: http://politi.co/190bgWf.
FEINSTEIN DRAFTS DRONE REGULATION MANDATES: Sen. Dianne Feinstein says she’s working on legislation to close gaps in the FAA’s ability to regulate drones, raising concern about the agency’s inability to control the use of small recreational drones and to influence drone manufacturers. The senator mentioned Wednesday the idea of requiring drone makers to include copies of the FAA’s “Know Before you Fly” pamphlet with the drones they sell and to include geofencing technology in the devices. More from our Kathryn A. Wolfe: http://politico.pro/1zMYl0r.
COLLINS PRODS ADMINISTRATION TO WEIGH IN ON PAY-FORS: Sen. Susan Collins chastised the Obama administration this week for not taking a stance on how to fix the Highway Trust fund, telling Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx that “simply saying that we are happy to work with Congress is not an acceptable answer.” The Maine Republican noted that DOT’s Grow America plan would only last six years, even if it were enacted and paid for. Foxx told Senate appropriators that deciding how to fill the trust fund is “a very tough question, because there are lots of academic ideas, but at some level it becomes a question of what can get the political support to actually pass.” Kathy’s got more details on that exchange: http://politico.pro/1QlVJB1.
HOUSE LAWMAKERS AIM TO REVAMP AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER HIRING: A bipartisan group of House lawmakers introduced a bill this week that would restore preferred status for hiring air traffic controllers who have gone through the Collegiate Training Initiative, who are qualified veterans, or who have gained experience through an FAA air traffic control facility or DOD installation. The legislation would stop the agency from using biographical assessments to disqualify applicants and would allow candidates to reapply if they have “aged out” of qualification. http://1.usa.gov/1PlXltf.
NONPROFIT NABS RAHALL AND LaHOOD: The World Affairs Council has added former Transportation chief Ray LaHood and former T&I ranking Democrat Nick Rahall to its board of directors.
THE AUTOBAHN (SPEED READ):
— Families ditch cars for cargo bikes. The New York Times: http://nyti.ms/1d2GTjM
— Massachusetts governor proposes overhaul of Boston’s transit system. AP: http://abcn.ws/1DkPDIa
— What Apple’s auto ambitions mean for Tesla. The Wall Street Journal: http://on.wsj.com/1G9raq4
— Drivers want new safety technology, but it will cost them. AP: http://bit.ly/1DkUGs1
— Oil train inspections turn up defects in New York. The Albany Times Union: http://bit.ly/1Eu48PH
— New Mexico regulators adopt new rules for Lyft, Uber. AP: http://bit.ly/1aTO8Jb
— American Airlines CEO gives up cash in shift to stock only. Bloomberg Business: http://bloom.bg/1bxmMtt
— Chicago’s Metra to spend $80 million to help launch safety system. The Chicago Tribune: http://trib.in/1EfDhFi
— Transport chaos as public sector strike hits Brussels. AP: http://yhoo.it/1Eu60Ik
— Boeing faces ‘steep climb’ to cash goal on Dreamliner costs. Bloomberg Business: http://bloom.bg/1DkSGAg
THE COUNTDOWN: Highway and transit policy expires in 38 days. DOT appropriations run out and the FAA reauthorization expires in 160 days. The 2016 presidential election is in 566 days.
THE DAY AHEAD:
All day — The Coalition for America’s Gateways and Trade Corridors holds its annual meeting. 1120 20th St. NW.
9:00 a.m. — The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration holds a meeting on minimum training requirements for entry-level drivers of commercial motor vehicles. 1999 Jefferson Davis Hwy., Arlington, Va.
9 a.m. — The FAA holds a meeting of the Office of Hazardous Materials Safety in preparation for the International Civil Aviation Organization's Dangerous Goods Panel's meeting in Montreal next week. 800 Independence Ave. SW.
10 a.m. — The Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee holds a hearing on reauthorizing surface transportation programs. 538 Dirksen Senate Office Building.
9:45 a.m. — The Senate Commerce panel’s aviation subcommittee holds a hearing on reauthorizing the FAA, focusing on airport issues and infrastructure financing. 253 Russell Senate Office Building.
10 a.m. — The Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board holds a meeting of the Rail Vehicles Access Advisory Committee on revising and updating accessibility guidelines under the Americans with Disabilities Act for transportation vehicles that operate on fixed guideway systems. 1331 F St. NW.
10 a.m. — The Eno Center for Transportation is holding a briefing on overhauling the U.S. air traffic control system. Russell Senate Office Building SR-325.
2 p.m. — The American Trucking Association holds a reporters roundtable. 430 First St. SE.
Stories from POLITICO Pro
Unions defy AFL-CIO PAC freeze
Unions defy AFL-CIO PAC freeze back
By Brian Mahoney and Marianne LeVine | 4/22/15 7:47 PM EDT
The AFL-CIO’s moratorium on federal PAC contributions is not holding, with nearly 20 percent of its member unions defying it.
Unions declining to participate in the campaign spending freeze — which AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka imposed last month to pressure Democrats into opposing President Barack Obama’s trade agenda — include some of the AFL-CIO’s most powerful members: the United Food and Commercial Workers, the International Association of Machinists, and the Laborers’ International Union of North America.
This noncompliance is yet another sign that organized labor has little traction on trade. It can’t keep the Senate Finance Committee from likely approving a "fast-track" bill that will speed passage of the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement. It can’t halt the bill’s likely passage in the Senate or in the House, where Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas) said Wednesday there were enough votes for passage. It can’t even get many of the AFL-CIO’s own members to honor a contributions freeze.
In a March 4 email obtained by POLITICO, Richard Trumka told member unions: “It is important that we all act consistently, so I want to clarify that this freeze includes events that have already been scheduled, as well as contributions that have been committed and contributions to non-incumbents. It is a freeze of our Federal PACs.”
But according to Federal Election Commission records, LIUNA donated $120,000, UFCW donated $112,000 and IAM donated $10,000 to members of Congress between March 4 and the end of that month.
Josh Goldstein, an AFL-CIO spokesman, emphasized the majority of its affiliates have suspended PAC donations and are devoting their resources to fighting fast track. “The entire labor movement is fully engaged on multiple fronts in the overall campaign that will ultimately defeat undemocratic and dangerous fast-track authority,” he said.
Just last week UFCW President Marc Perrone wrote an op-ed published in The Hill that said the union would remember those members of Congress who supported and opposed the Trans-Pacific Partnership. “This issue will be a determining factor in deciding who the UFCW supports,” Tim Schlittner, a UFCW spokesman, told POLITICO. But Schlittner also said the union would “continue to use our PAC to support those elected officials who are standing side by side with us in this fight.”
Other AFL-CIO member unions that continued to make federal candidate contributions after the freeze was imposed include LIUNA division National Postal Mail Handlers Union; Air Line Pilots Association; the American Postal Workers’ Union; the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers; the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades; Transport Workers Union of America; and United Transportation Union.
For some of these unions, the violations may have been purely technical. A spokesperson for the American Postal Workers’ Union said a check was sent to replace a previously sent check that went missing and was never cashed. Federal Election Commission records support that claim. APWU told POLITICO Tuesday that it still supports the freeze. TWUA sent a check that was supposed to have gone out before the freeze but did not, due to a clerical error. Neither union sent donations to any other federal candidates after the freeze was established.
A thaw in the AFL-CIO’s freeze was first revealed by International Business Times’ Cole Stangler, who reported Monday that LIUNA had declined to follow the agreement.back
POLITICO Pro Transportation Whiteboard: Chaffetz: FAA’s absence at gyrocopter briefing ‘speaks volumes’
4/22/15 9:07 PM EDT
House Oversight Chairman Jason Chaffetz slammed the FAA today for not showing up at a classified briefing on the “gyrocopter” that landed on the Capitol lawn last week.
“I think their absence speaks volumes,” Chaffetz said about the FAA, the National Park Service police and the North American Aerospace Defense Command after leaving a briefing attended by Secret Service and Capitol Police officials. “But they didn’t seem to show up to the event of the gyrocopter either.”
The chairman said his panel will question FAA and NORAD officials about “the core question about visibility” during an oversight hearing next Wednesday, as the gyrocopter — flown by a Florida mailman — was able to travel for about 30 miles in restricted airspace.
“They chose not to brief us today, and that’s the heart of the question we will be asking next Wednesday,” he said. “They have a lot of explaining to do.”
Chaffetz and his Democratic counterpart, ranking member Elijah Cummings, both said the U.S. government needs to send a message to would-be terrorists that any aircraft flying so close to the Capitol will be shot down.
— Jennifer Scholtes
To view online:
https://www.politicopro.com/go/?wbid=52263