NATIONAL NEWS:
New York Times: 3 Cities in Running for 2020 Olympics Have Shortcomings
BUENOS AIRES — The recent trend of the International Olympic Committee and FIFA, the organizer of soccer’s World Cup, has been to award the planet’s two largest sporting events to cities, countries or regions that have never hosted the global competitions.
New York Times: Stranded in a Sea of Cars, Where Speedometers Barely Budge
MEXICO CITY — From the top of a tall building on a clear night, the traffic here looks like a stream of light — bright white flowing one way, ruby red the other. On the ground, however, it’s painfully obvious that the opposite is true: nearly everyone is stuck.
Transportation Nation: VIDEO: Pennsylvania Congressman Takes a Ride in a Driverless Car
The chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee rode shotgun on a 33-mile driverless car jaunt.
Transportation Issues Daily: Five Things You’ll Want to Know about USDOT TIGER V
http://www.transportationissuesdaily.com/five-things-youll-want-to-know-about-usdot-tiger-v/
Wondering which modes, states, and projects got the most TIGER V funding? We’ve got the answers. USDOT announced that 52 projects in 37 states are splitting the $474 million approved by Congress.
Sustainable Cities: Environmental Urbanism: Cities can Lead in Climate Change Fight
http://sustainablecitiescollective.com/futurecapetown/174646/cities-can-lead-climate-change-fight
Can cities lead in the fight against Climate Change? And, if so where and how would they do so?
StreetBlog: TIGER V a Shot in the Arm for Livable Streets in Cities and Small Towns
Out of 585 applications, U.S. DOT has chosen 52 transportation projects in 37 states to receive TIGER awards totaling $474 million. The Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery program was originally an element of President Obama’s 2009 stimulus package. Although it hasn’t been reauthorized and many Republicans claim to hate it, funding somehow keeps being appropriated for TIGER. Amazingly, despite enormous funding obstacles, including a sequester, U.S. DOT just announced the fifth round of TIGER awards.
NBC News: Danger on the tracks: Unsafe rail cars carry oil through US towns
The number of freight trains carrying oil across America has soared in the past five years, but federal officials warn that the massive steel tank cars that carry most of that oil through towns and past schools – the same cars that exploded in Quebec this summer, killing 47 -- may be unsafe and prone to rupture.
FORBES: Rail Tank Car Safety Risk: Could Montreal Disaster Happen Here?
Less than two months after a train derailment outside of Montreal caused a massive explosion and fire that destroyed a small downtown and killed 47 people, the US Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration issued an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking seeking public input on proposed safety enhancements to the transportation of hazardous materials, including crude oil. It was a crude oil tank car that caused the massive disaster in Quebec. The public has 60 days to comment after which the agency could propose rulemaking.
STATE NEWS:
San Francisco Chronicle: BART, unions remain far apart on contract
http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/BART-unions-remain-far-apart-on-contract-4790762.php
Nearly a month into the 60-day cooling-off period intended to give BART and its unions time to negotiate a new contract in a less high-stress environment, the two sides are back to exchanging accusations instead of proposals.
WFAE: Charlotte Loses Out To Kansas City Streetcar In Federal Grant Competition
http://wfae.org/post/charlotte-loses-out-kansas-city-streetcar-federal-grant-competition
Charlotte's streetcar project is not dead, but its future is in limbo after the city's initial federal funding application was denied. Charlotte Area Transit System CEO Carolyn Flowers says there are other grants the streetcar may qualify for, but snagging them could require more investment from the city's taxpayers.
KUHF: Port Of Houston Gets Federal Grant For Wharf Expansion
http://app1.kuhf.org/articles/1378395480-Port-Of-Houston-Gets-Federal-Grant-For-Wharf-Expansion.html
The U.S. Department of Transportation is awarding $474 million in grants through its economic recovery program. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx says some of that money is coming to Houston.
The Boston Globe: Rail link coming to fast-growing Seaport
Imagine finishing lunch at any of the wildly popular restaurants of Fort Point Channel, walking around the corner, and boarding a train that will shuttle you in 10 minutes to the figurative heart of Boston, Copley Square.
Next City: Martin O’Malley Wants Someone Else to Run His Light Rail
http://nextcity.org/sharedcity/entry/martin-omalley-wants-someone-else-to-run-his-light-rail
Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley is on the cusp of pulling off something that few American politicians have ever done: Partnering with a private interest to build a major transportation project that isn’t a highway.
Chicago Tribune: Emanuel halts Midway privatization bidding
After picking two finalists for a lucrative lease of Midway Airport, Mayor Rahm Emanuel's administration Thursday abruptly halted its efforts to take the transportation hub private.
Railway Age: Phase One of National Gateway completed
http://www.railwayage.com/index.php/intermodal/phase-one-of-national-gateway-completed.html
Phase One of the National Gateway—a doublestack clearance project connecting CSX’s existing intermodal terminal in Chambersburg, Pa., and its new, state-of-the-art Northwest Ohio Intermodal Terminal hub facility, has been completed on time, and on budget.
Railway Track and Structures: SEPTA, New Hampshire Northcoast Railroad awarded TIGER grants
Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) and New Hampshire Northcoast Railroad have been awarded $11.4 million in Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grants.
Politico Morning Transportation
By Adam Snider | 9/6/13 6:01 AM EDT
Featuring Scott Wong
BETTER THAN ROCKY V — TIGER V: DOT has officially rolled out its list of 52 road, bridge, port, pedestrian, rail and other projects winning $474 million from the fifth round of TIGER funding. Port projects won $104 million and rail-related work got over $200 million, according to industry groups happy with the results. 37 states got in on the funding action; 25 of the 52 grants, worth $123 million, are for projects in rural areas; and four tribal governments got $17 million. The largest single grant — $20 million — went to an 11-station extension of the streetcar system in downtown Kansas City. “These projects are truly ones that have the power to transform communities,” Foxx said on a conference call with the mayors of Atlanta and Indianapolis. TIGER grants “represent the kind of work we should be doing across the country. These grants make the best argument for increased investments in transportation,” he said.
More info: Via DOT, check out a full list of the 52 TIGER grants (http://www.dot.gov/tiger) or more information on each project (http://1.usa.gov/1amh8bl). Transportation Issues Daily has lots of good info, like a modal breakdown of the winners and the top-grossing states (http://bit.ly/15zvM7g) and a list of the projects from most to least expensive (http://bit.ly/153bfeH).
Downward trend: The fifth round of TIGER was the smallest yet — the funding has gone down with each new batch. The program got $1.5 billion when it was created in the 2009 stimulus package, followed by rounds of $600 million, $527 million and $500 million before the newest installment of $474 million.
BONUS FOXX: “America is hungry for transportation projects, and that’s the message the House and Senate need to hear loud and clear as they come back from recess. We need Congress to pass a long-term transportation bill that provides the funding President Obama requested in his budget so we can continue encouraging innovation and address our long- and short-term infrastructure needs,” Foxx said on the conference call. “Every day we wait to invest in our infrastructure is a day that puts us behind the competition, it’s a day we’re not doing right by our kids and our grandkids, and it’s just not acceptable.”
FRIDAYS DON’T COME OFTEN ENOUGH. Thanks for reading POLITICO’s Morning Transportation, your daily tipsheet on trains, planes and automobiles, where today your host is marveling at how the time flies — it was exactly a year ago that President Barack Obama and VP Joe Biden wrapped up a Democratic National Convention that saw its fair share of infrastructure shout-outs. Please be in touch: asnider@politico.com. And follow on Twitter: @AdamKSnider and @POLITICOPro.
“You go out at night eating cars ...” http://bit.ly/15nSYVU (h/t Matt Daily)
PROGRAMMING NOTE: Your regular host is off today; Kathy takes the MT reins today and will bring you Monday’s edition, so hit her up if you’ve got something big: kwolfe@politico.com
GADGET FIGHT FLYING HIGH: Sen. Claire McCaskill and the FAA are continuing their back-and-forth over allowing passengers to use iPads, Kindles and other electronic devices while planes take off and land. FAA Administrator Michael Huerta has now written the Missouri Democrat and nine other senators to say his agency was committed to addressing the issue but would wait for an advisory panel to make recommendations at the end of the month. It was a response to an August letter from the senators urging the FAA to quickly make changes to the 1960s-era regulations, put in place because of worries that electromagnetic interference could disrupt a plane’s navigation systems. Scott takes it away for Pros: http://politico.pro/15CgUei
MAILBAG — Wrap it up: Officials from an array of consumer, traveler and airline passenger groups are asking OMB to issue a rule responding to the rise in checked bag and other airline fees. The rulemaking process started on April 4, 2011, the groups wrote to OMB Director Sylvia Mathews Burwell, but has been stuck at the White House's regulatory arm for the past 880 days. "This final OMB delay needs to end. After five years of frustration, it’s time to release this long overdue rulemaking. The tens of millions of airline consumers that we represent deserve better from both the airlines and the regulatory bodies that are tasked with consumer protection rules and enforcement,” the letter says. Read it here: http://politico.pro/15yxw0u
Hands off: The FAA Managers Association wrote Foxx and OMB’s Burwell to oppose using Airport Improvement Fund money to avoid any FAA furloughs in the CR. The AIP program lost $253 million this fiscal year when Congress avoided sequester-induced furloughs by giving FAA explicit authority to transfer the funds. Read the letter: http://bit.ly/17ANt6e
ACCORD-ING TO HONDA: The automaker will announce today that the 2014 Accord Hybrid has a 50 mpg city/45 highway fuel efficiency rating from the EPA. It’s the most fuel-efficient car in its class and has a 673 mile range, 46 more than the next-best competitor.
MICKEY MOUSE AND ELECTRIC CARS: Today officials from the Electrification Coalition, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Nissan and Sabre Holdings launch Drive Electric Orlando, the nation’s largest electric car rental initiative. Hotels, theme parks and rental companies will team up to give tourists the option to drive an EV on their trip to see Mickey. Partners include Chevrolet, Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, Sea World Orlando and the Orlando International Airport.
BE AN EDUCATION PRO — We're excited to announce that POLITICO Pro Education, the newest Pro policy area, will officially debut Wednesday, Sept. 18, with original reporting, breaking news and insight into education policy. Subscribers will also receive exclusive early-bird editions of Morning Education. Interested in access to Pro Education? E-mail info@politicopro.com or call (703) 341-4600.
IN TODAY’S FEDERAL REGISTER — Highway project financial plans: FHWA is asking for comments on a guidance on how the agency reviews and approves financial plans. The changes were called for in MAP-21 and include recommendations for a 2009 GAO report on cost oversight, according to FHWA. http://1.usa.gov/13iWlA2
Rail car safety: PHMSA issues an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking to improve safety for rail cars transporting hazardous materials, stemming from eight petitions and four NTSB recommendations. http://1.usa.gov/1dUl4Bp
TRANSPORTING YOURSELF AROUND D.C. THIS WEEKEND: Buses replace trains on the Red Line between Rhode Island Ave. and Judiciary Square, with NoMa-Gallaudet and Union Station closed. Same for the Orange Line between Vienna and Ballston, with the four stops in between closed. All stations are open on the Blue, Green and Yellow lines. WMATA has the details: http://bit.ly/1aSy08S
11th Street bridge: DDOT has a Saturday celebration to dedicate the 11th Street bridge. Government and other officials will be on hand, as will “family- friendly activities, music and food.” More info on the project: http://bit.ly/1fCkrYQ
THE AUTOBAHN (SPEED READ)
- The kittens rescued from the New York subway are in a temporary foster home ahead of permanent adoption. Transpo Nation has the cute pictures: http://wny.cc/17Iil73
- A look at the ongoing feud between Delta and Korean Air. Cranky Flier: http://bit.ly/17bLAjs
- Trivia tidbit: The National Zoo’s panda webcam is sponsored by a grant from the Ford Motor Company Fund. POLITICO Influence: http://politi.co/152rzMY
- DOE sells off its $45 million loan to the shuttered Vehicle Production Group for $3 million.
- Metro will hold six public hearings on proposed bus service changes. http://bit.ly/15CRUDL
- The railroad involved in the fatal crash in Canada could be sold by year’s end. AP: http://bit.ly/15CS12c
PI THEFT — Kinzel flies to Delta: Speaker John Boehner's policy staffer Will Kinzel is exiting Capitol Hill to become managing director of government affairs at Delta Airlines. Kinzel, who joined Boehner's shop in 2009, has been a top adviser to the speaker on issues like transportation and aviation policy. Delta has four other registered in-house lobbyists, including Andrea Newman, a close ally to House Majority Whip Eric Cantor.
THE DAY AHEAD: 8 a.m. — NHTSA holds a meeting of the National Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council. 901 New York Ave. NW.
10 a.m. — DHS farewell ceremony for Secretary Janet Napolitano, featuring VP Joe Biden and AG Eric Holder. Ronald Reagan Building, Amphitheater, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW.
11 a.m. — Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent Thomas Mulhall and HSI Program Manager Deborah Hardos hold a briefing for foreign media on “ICE Homeland Security Investigations: Efforts to Combat Illicit Trafficking in Stolen Art, Antiquities and Cultural Property.” Washington Foreign Press Center, National Press Building, 14th and F St. NW, Suite 800.
THE COUNTDOWN: DOT funding and passenger rail policy both run out in 25 days. Surface transportation policy is up in 390 days and FAA policy in 755 days. The mid-term elections are in 424 days.
CABOOSE — Millipedes: The Atlantic Cities looks at the 1953 Australian infestation of Black Portuguese millipedes, looking nothing like their Atari counterpart, which “are known not only for their distinctive black shell, but also for the terrible odor they emit.” The bugs were all over the place — including on rail tracks, leading to one train rear-ending another on tracks slippery with bug guts. Read on: http://bit.ly/1aSJxVN
NATIONAL NEWS:
New York Times: 3 Cities in Running for 2020 Olympics Have Shortcomings
BUENOS AIRES — The recent trend of the International Olympic Committee and FIFA, the organizer of soccer’s World Cup, has been to award the planet’s two largest sporting events to cities, countries or regions that have never hosted the global competitions.