NATIONAL NEWS
Think Progress: More Than 63,000 Bridges Crossed 250 Million Times A Day Need Significant Repairs
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2014/04/25/3430786/bridges-structurally-deficient/
The United States has more than 63,000 bridges that are structurally deficient and in need of significant repairs, according to an analysis of government data by the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA). Drivers cross these bridges 250 million times each day. They are all at least 39 years old except for one.
Slate: Google's Self-Driving Car Already Drives Better Than You Do
You’re driving down a busy suburban street when a bicyclist suddenly raises his arm and weaves out in front of you. You tap the brakes, only for the bicyclist to change his mind and settle back into his bike lane. Then, just as you’re speeding up again, he weaves in front of you again. Are you irritated yet?
STATE NEWS
WNYC: Senator: Port Authority Being Raided by States
http://www.wnyc.org/story/schumer-port-authority-spending-2-billion-it-shouldnt/
Sen. Charles Schumer (NY-D.) is criticizing the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey for spending almost $2 billion on projects that don't relate to its mission and don't produce revenue. Schumer was particularly pointed in singling out repair work on the Pulaski Skyway, which is currently underway.
KUOW: New Bus Initiative Filed For Seattle Only, Prop 1 Continues To Fail
http://kuow.org/post/new-bus-initiative-filed-seattle-only-prop-1-continues-fail
Votes are still being tallied, but King County voters so far are rejecting Proposition 1. That almost certainly means cuts to buses.
The Hill: House votes to allow more DC penthouses
http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/house/204618-house-votes-to-allow-more-dc-penthouses
The House on Monday voted to allow construction of certain penthouses in the District of Columbia as lawmakers agreed it would not significantly change the city skyline.
WBBH (Ft. Myers, FL): Will SR-82 widening reduce serious crashes?
http://www.nbc-2.com/story/25370562/will-sr-82-widening-reduce-serious-crashes#.U1-lGfldWSp
The state Department of Transportation has had plans to expand SR-82 from two to four and eventually six lanes. After two bad crashes over the weekend, area residents want to know when it will happen.
BostInno: MassDOT Hopes to Reduce Bike Fatalities & Injuries by 20% Over 5 Years
http://bostinno.streetwise.co/2014/04/28/massdot-bicycle-pedestrian-safety-program-announced/
On Monday, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation announced a substantial investment in bike safety and awareness hoping to reduce fatalities and injuries by 20 percent in five years. The news comes hot on the heels of the MassDOT's Healthy Transportation Policy Directive, which outlined goals for best practices and wellness initiatives.
WNYC: Animals on Amtrak: It's Happening. (Sort of.)
http://www.wnyc.org/story/animals-amtrak-its-happening-sort/
Some Amtrak trains in Illinois will roll in on little cat feet. From May 2 to Nov. 2, dogs and cats up to 20 pounds will be permitted aboard trains on two Amtrak routes in Illinois, the Carl Sandburg and the Illinois Zephyr. Pets must be in carriers, remain under the seat, and travel with their human companion in the designated pet car.
Houston Public Media: Houston Bus Riders Can Now Get Real-Time Information
http://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/news/houston-bus-riders-can-now-get-realtime-information/
Metro will now provide real time information to bus riders through a new smartphone app. The transit agency is partnering with Google to provide the free app.
Arizona Republic: Phoenix advances light-rail plans despite money hurdles
Despite funding hurdles on the horizon, Phoenix is aggressively moving forward with plans to expand its light-rail system, including extensions into its suburban areas to the north, south and west.
KTVU: Public transportation increased demand hurts on-time performance
Ridership on Muni buses, trolleys, cable cars and light rail vehicles is at a record high. That's according to the quarterly Muni Service Performance Update released Monday by the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, which found stubborn problems in addition to new challenges for the aging system.
POLITICO MORNING TRANSPORTATION
By Adam Snider | 4/29/14 5:49 AM EDT
Featuring Kevin Robillard and Scott Wong
YOUR GUIDE TO TODAY — WRRDA’s voyage: The House Transportation Committee holds a hearing this morning to get an update on several water projects under consideration by the Army Corps of Engineers. With an eye on locking down the final list of projects in a new water resources bill that’s been the subject of months-long talks with the Senate, the members are already under pressure to include several projects — like the Morganza flood control project in Louisiana that EPW ranking member David Vitter has voiced support for. Sen. Mary Landrieu wrote House T&I leaders Bill Shuster and Nick Rahall asking that the $10.3 billion project be included in the final version; it was in the Senate-passed version but not the one that cleared the House last year. “The time for action is now,” Landrieu wrote (http://1.usa.gov/1nWGGON). More on the T&I hearing today at 10 a.m.: http://1.usa.gov/1jJHG4V
Let’s talk about P3s: The Eno Center for Transportation puts out a new paper on public-private partnerships at a Hill event this morning, with the help of former DOT leaders Mary Peters and Norm Mineta, among others. P3s getting a lot of attention as lawmakers look at new ways to help fund transportation projects amid tight budget times; a special House T&I panel continues to meet on the idea and will offer recommendations this summer. But people hoping for a P3 panacea are out of luck — the paper says that the base money “will need to come from user fees, tax revenues, or other dedicated funding sources, and P3s provide one way of assembling the upfront investment resources needed to get projects started.” Watch the 9 a.m. event: http://bit.ly/1tWA87a
The rumor mill: Keep an eye out for a possible DOT announcement on its legislative proposal to Congress for the looming surface transportation bill, according to a few rumors making the rounds yesterday.
AMTRAK DROPS CLIPPERS SPONSORSHIP: “Amtrak is distancing itself from the Los Angeles Clippers after the team’s owner was caught on tape making racist remarks. The passenger railroad, which operates as a private company but is partially funded through taxpayer subsidies, said in a statement Monday its sponsorship of the NBA team ‘expired at the end of the regular season a few weeks ago.’ Amtrak is one of a string of Clippers sponsors to drop their team sponsorship since Clippers owner Donald Sterling’s comments caused an uproar over the weekend. ‘Amtrak believes the language used is unacceptable and is inconsistent with our corporate belief to treat everyone with integrity and dignity,’ the company said.” Full story: http://politi.co/1itFtiM
In related news: Virgin America and CarMax are ending their sponsorships, and support from Kia is on hold. Vox has more: http://bit.ly/1m3CV95
TRANSPORTATION INFLUENCE: See where the money — and influence — is going in the transportation world in the inaugural issue of Transportation Influence, by Kevin: http://politico.pro/1jaiZSL
TUESDAY, APRIL 29. Thanks for reading POLITICO’s Morning Transportation, your daily tipsheet on trains, planes, automobiles and ports, where on this day in 1899, one of the District of Columbia’s most famous residents — Edward Kennedy Ellington — was born. You probably know him as Duke. Please be in touch: asnider@politico.com and @AdamKSnider.
“Her hair is highway stripe yellow…” http://bit.ly/1gc2nFn
DON’T DRIVE IT: Sens. Ed Markey and Richard Blumenthal, two of the most vocal senators in the GM recall saga, have asked that federal regulators tell consumers to stop driving the cars affected by ignition problems. In a letter to Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, the pair wrote that “failure to do so could result in additional accidents, injuries and deaths.” GM had already rejected an earlier request from the senators for a stop-driving order. “We believe you — as the federal regulator referred to by the court — have a unique opportunity to protect public safety by taking stronger action to issue warnings of these dangers,” Blumenthal and Markey wrote (http://1.usa.gov/1lrXbCT). “We urge you to do everything in your power to get these defective vehicles off the road.”
DOT’s take: “We will respond directly to Senators Markey and Blumenthal regarding their letter,” a department spokesperson said. “In the meantime, we continue to urge owners and drivers of affected Chevy Cobalt and Saturn Ion vehicle to always wear their seat belts and until the vehicle is remedied, to follow GM’s recommendation to use only the ignition key with nothing else on the key ring when operating the vehicle. Owners can also contact GM for information on how to request courtesy transportation.”
MAILBAG — Please hike our tax: A wide-ranging coalition of 82 groups — including AFL-CIO, Waterways Council and the Associated General Contractors of America — have written Senate Finance leaders Ron Wyden and Orrin Hatch asking for a hike in the user fee paid by barge and towing companies. The groups say that the tax, currently 20 cents per gallon for fuel going to the Inland Waterways Trust Fund, should be 26 to 29 cents instead. “We hope that members of the Senate Finance Committee will support inclusion of an increase to the user fee in comprehensive tax reform or any appropriate revenue measure ahead.” http://politico.pro/1rGxi3Y
A heavy issue: Safety groups like Parents Against Tired Truckers and Citizens for Reliable and Safe Highways wrote Secretary Foxx voicing concern with an ongoing study on the safety impact of truck size and weight increases. That DOT study is “hurtling toward its conclusion despite numerous problems identified by the National Academy of Sciences,” the officials wrote. “These on-going problems will prejudice the outcome of the Study and unfairly favor efforts by corporate trucking interests to increase federal truck size and weight limits to the detriment of safety for all road users.” http://politico.pro/1hIDyFo
Say no: Former House T&I Chairman Jim Oberstar wants DOT to reject Norwegian Air International’s application to fly in the United States. “I believe that this is an important inflection point for how we as a nation project and secure America’s role in the global aviation marketplace,” the Minnesotan wrote Foxx. http://politico.pro/1kfgjkQ
RAIL SAFETY BILL COMING: New York and Connecticut members that have Metro-North service in their districts are planning a rail safety bill, Reps. Rosa DeLauro, Jim Himes, Elizabeth Esty and Sean Patrick Maloney said on Monday. The bill would mandate the implementation of a railroad safety risk reduction program, require safety “alerters” that sound an alarm in Metro-North cars and “require a timeline” for positive train control. PTC is often pointed to as a way to improve rail safety, but its implementation continues to be slow ahead of a December 2015 deadline. The MTA said yesterday that it has expanded a contract that will let it speed up installing PTC equipment in 836 Long Island Rail Road and 474 Metro-North rail cars (http://bit.ly/1lr7nvh).
BREAKING MEWS: The movement to allow pets on Amtrak trains is picking up speed — there’s a new pilot program in Illinois that lets rail-riders take their cat or dog on the train. There are notable restrictions: No animals larger than 20 pounds, nothing other than dogs or cats, and Fido or Mittens will have to stay in the cage under the seat. The pets can only board — with owners who’ve paid a $25 fee — in Chicago, Naperville and Galesburg, and can ride on trains running between Chicago and Quincy as part of the Illinois Zephyr and Carl Sandburg lines. The pilot program will last from May 5 to Nov. 2. http://bit.ly/1mRiWM8
THE AUTOBAHN (SPEED READ)
- Foxx is still working on his predecessor’s cause, warning against the “epidemic” of distracted driving. Scott for Pros: http://politico.pro/1lqQjFN
- Toyota to consolidate its U.S. operations in Plano, Texas, with a late 2017 target move-in date. Automotive News: http://bit.ly/1k5swHf
- Sen. Chuck Schumer has a plan to reform the embattled Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Capital New York’s Dana Rubenstein for Pros: http://politico.pro/1rxQ1wT
- “What needs to be done to finish the Silver Line?” The Washington Post answers: http://wapo.st/1nALxYx
- Google’s self-driving car takes on real-life, city streets. The Atlantic Cities: http://bit.ly/1kfqUfq
- UAW and labor group IndustriALL seek Department of State mediation of talks with Nissan. Detroit Free Press: http://on.freep.com/1kmg0pL
- Virginia officials look to ease congestion on I-66, with an eye on tolls for new capacity. WTOP: http://bit.ly/1tWQOLK
- AT&T is working on a new WiFi system for its planes, and Internet provider Gogo didn’t fare well on the news. Business Insider: http://read.bi/1m4Gax3
THE DAY AHEAD: 7:30 a.m. — The National Association of Railroad Passengers holds its 2014 Spring Council of Representatives meeting, April 28-30. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx speaks at 6:30 p.m. in 2168 Rayburn. Double Tree Hotel, 8727 Colesville Road, Silver Spring, Md.
8:30 a.m. —- FAA holds the bi-annual meeting of the FAA Aeronautical Charting Forum to discuss informational content and design of aeronautical charts and related products, as well as instrument flight procedures development policy and design criteria, April 29-May 1. MITRE, 7517 Colshire Drive, Conference Center, McLean, Va.
9 a.m. — The Eno Center for Transportation holds an event to release a paper titled “Partnership Financing: Improving Transportation Infrastructure Through Public Private Partnerships (P3s).” 2253 Rayburn House Office Building.
9 a.m. — The Organization of American States’s Inter-American Committee on Ports holds a Workshop on Maritime Safety, April 28-30. OAS, General Secretariat Building, 1889 F Street NW.
9:10 a.m. — President Barack Obama participates in the COMET (City Optimized Managed Electric Transport) electric vehicle viewing. Sofitel Philippine Plaza Hotel, Manila, Philippines.
9:30 a.m. — The Fuels America coalition hosts a discussion to provide an update on “commercial scale cellulosic ethanol and the consequences of proposed reductions to the Renewable Fuel Standard.” National Press Club, 14th and F Streets NW, Murrow Room
10 a.m. — State Department holds a meeting of the Shipping Coordinating Committee to prepare for the 93rd session of the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) Maritime Safety Committee to be held at the IMO Headquarters, United Kingdom, from May 14-23, 2014. Coast Guard Headquarters, 2100 2nd Street SW, Room 6i10-01-c.
10 a.m. — House T&I Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee hearing titled “Drug Interdiction Operations in the Western Hemisphere: Are Sufficient Assets Available to Reduce the Flow of Drugs into the United States?” 2167 Rayburn House Office Building.
10 a.m. — House Foreign Affairs Committee Western Hemisphere Subcommittee and House T&I Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee joint hearing titled “Confronting Transnational Drug Smuggling: An Assessment of Regional Partnerships.” 2172 Rayburn House Office Building.
10 a.m. — House T&I Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee hearing titled “A Review of Recent United States Army Corps of Engineers Chief's Reports and Post Authorization Change Reports.” 2167 Rayburn House Office Building.
11 a.m. — Secretary Foxx participates in a news conference to kick off a national project for better bike lanes. Indianapolis City Market, 222 East Market Street, “The Platform” room, Indianapolis, Ind.
1 p.m. — DOT holds a webinar meeting of the National Freight Advisory Committee to finalize recommendations for the department to consider in its development of the National Freight Strategic Plan.
THE COUNTDOWN: MAP-21 expires and DOT funding runs out in 155 days. FAA policy is up in 520 days. The mid-term elections are in 189 days and the 2016 presidential election is in 924 days.
CABOOSE — Guess the Metro station: You think you know your Metro stations, huh? Part three of this fun pictorial quiz from Greater Greater Washington might knock you down a peg if you miss one or two. Answers will be posted tomorrow: http://bit.ly/PMmu6a
POLITICO PROCAST, EXCLUSIVE FOR PROS: Every Monday, POLITICO Pro hosts a podcast specifically for Pro subscribers — a Procast — exploring the week’s hottest policy issues. This week, Pro’s Energy team discusses Al Gore, the Keystone pipeline and Russian sanctions: http://politico.pro/1fqKtE6
Stories from POLITICO Pro
Transportation Influence: Shuster, Davis rake it in while Gibbs gives big
Foxx: Distracted driving an ‘epidemic’
Schumer releases Port Authority reform proposal
Procast: Al Gore, The Keystone pipeline and Russian sanctions
Transportation Influence: Shuster, Davis rake it in while Gibbs gives big back
By Kevin Robillard | 4/28/14 5:13 PM EDT
SHUSTER, DAVIS SPEND BIG TO BEAT BACK PRIMARY CHALLENGERS — House Transportation Chairman Bill Shuster was the no-surprise fundraising heavyweight on the committee during the first quarter, bringing in about $736,000. But he spent even more than that — $842,000 — in his effort to beat back tea party challenger Art Halvorson. The big-ticket item for Shuster was more than $500,000 in payments to Red Maverick Media, a political consulting firm with offices in Harrisburg, Pa. Shuster still has more than $1 million cash on hand.
— Rep. Rodney Davis, a freshman Illinoisan who successfully fought off a primary challenge from former Miss America Erika Harold in March, raised just over $600,000 and spent about $100,000 more than that in the first quarter. Davis, who has raised more than even Shuster over the course of the 2014 election cycle, still had almost $1 million cash on hand at the end of the quarter. His general election opponent, former Madison County judge Ann Callis, raised just under $300,000 in the first quarter and was left with over $500,000 on hand.
WELCOME TO THE FIRST EDITION OF TRANSPORTATION INFLUENCE, our tipsheet for Pro subscribers on campaign finance and lobbying in the transportation policy arena. Send your tips, comments, thoughts, feedback and complaints to krobillard@politico.com. Big thanks to energy and transportation editor Bob King and Energy Influence author Alex Guillén for helping get us off the ground.
GIBBS GIVES $100K TO NRCC — Rep. Bob Gibbs, the Ohio Republican who chairs the House Transportation subcommittee on water resources, forked over a hefty $100,000 to the NRCC in early March. While other House Republicans have given more to the campaign committee during the 2014 cycle, most of them are either in leadership (Speaker John Boehner, Whip Kevin McCarthy) or chair powerful committees (Shuster, Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers).
TRUCKING ASSOCIATION SHIFTING DONATIONS? — Back in October, American Trucking Associations CEO Bill Graves — a former GOP governor of Kansas who had raised millions as a bundler for Mitt Romney — said his group was getting frustrated with the tea party and was considering shifting its donations. The group’s April report shows evidence of that: Of its $42,500 in donations, 42 percent went to Democrats. In the 2012 election cycle, the ATA PAC sent less than a quarter of its money to Dems. The group’s donations this time included $5,000 to BRIDGE PAC, the leadership PAC of House Assistant Democratic Leader Jim Clyburn.
ALPA SPREADS AROUND THE CASH — The Air Line Pilots Association PAC was a big donor in March, doling out $341,000 for the month, nearly as much as it had spent in all of 2013. That includes a $50,000 check to the House Majority PAC, which works to elect Democrats, and $5,000 checks to the campaigns of Sen. Mary Landrieu and a leadership PAC affiliated with embattled New York Rep. Michael Grimm.
TRANSPO GROUPS WORKING TO RESCUE RAHALL — House Transportation ranking member Nick Rahall, who is fighting for his political life against GOP West Virginia state Sen. Evan Jenkins, took in $34,500 in March from transportation-related PACs that POLITICO tracks. As far as we can tell, Jenkins didn’t receive a dime from a major transportation PAC. Rahall has just over $1 million in cash on hand, compared with about $500,000 for Jenkins.
AMID RECALL, NO MAJOR STEP-UP IN SPENDING FOR GENERAL MOTORS — The company’s PAC doled out $66,000 in March, down from $134,000 in February and $74,200 in January. None of those numbers is out of line from the automaker’s PAC spending in 2013. Ford Motor Co.’s PAC actually spent more than GM’s did, handing out more than $148,500 in checks in March. Something to watch for: How GM will treat the many lawmakers who harshly questioned CEO Mary Barra during early April hearings. The company’s first-quarter lobbying spending was also down year-over-year, from $3.2 million to $2.9 million.
TEST SITE LAUNCH AIDED BY LOBBYING — Earlier this month, the FAA announced that the first drone test site would open at the University of North Dakota. But the university’s interest in drones isn’t sudden: Since 2012, it has paid the Greystone Group over $200,000 to lobby on a variety of issues, including drones, according to lobbying filings. Other groups lobbying on drone and UAS issues include the Farm Bureau and the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association.
TRANSPO PACS BETTING ON GOP HOLD IN HOUSE — Transportation PACs tracked by POLITICO seem to be betting on the GOP to retain control of the House. Monthly filing PACs donated $60,000 to the National Republican Congressional Committee in March, compared with $25,000 to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. On the Senate side, transportation PAC donations have favored Democrats by a smaller margin of $32,500 to $20,000.
For a roundup of the latest news on campaign finance and lobbying, sign up for Transportation Influence at http://politico.pro/lvfnLQ.
LOBBYING REGISTRATIONS IN APRIL —
—Portus; Winning Strategies Washington http://1.usa.gov/1hIljvv
—CB Anderson Partners LLC; City of College Park, Ga. http://1.usa.gov/1tUAn2B
—Safe Routes to School National Partnership http://1.usa.gov/1kl7jMv
—PACCAR Inc. http://1.usa.gov/1m15Z5v
—Recology Inc.; Venn Strategies LLC http://1.usa.gov/1m0jjTe
—Northeast UAS Airspace Integration Research Alliance; The Roosevelt Group http://1.usa.gov/1fla55M
—Huntsville-Madison County Airport Authority; FTI Government Affairs http://1.usa.gov/1loiV2v
—City of Huntsville, Ala; FTI Government Affairs http://1.usa.gov/1mQVVJp
—Coalition of Ignition Interlock Manufacturers; Tim Yehl LLC http://1.usa.gov/1mQWenk
—Cumberland County, Maine; The Ferguson Group LLC http://1.usa.gov/1ivYxvO
—Truck Smart Parking Services Inc.; McCann Capitol Advocates http://1.usa.gov/1fJf0Ia
—Lyft; TwinLogic Strategies LLP http://1.usa.gov/1rwU38G
—Lyft; Jochum Shore & Trossevin PC http://1.usa.gov/1kl8jAe
—US Airline Pilots Association; The Livingston Group http://1.usa.gov/1h6CV4P
—DeKalb County, Ga.; Smith Dawson & Andrews http://1.usa.gov/1fp51wJ
—Libra Capital US; Manatos & Manatos http://1.usa.gov/QUz0RS
—American Traffic Solutions; Cornerstone Government Affairs LLC http://1.usa.gov/1tUCL9m
—Recreation Vehicle Industry Association; FaegreBD Consulting http://1.usa.gov/1flc36d
—Greater Orlando Aviation Authority; Akerman LLP http://1.usa.gov/1hHeyOG
—South Florida Regional Transportation Authority; Kaplan Kirsch & Rockwell LLP http://1.usa.gov/1hHeLBx
—Pheasants Forever Inc.; The Accord Group http://1.usa.gov/1icBYqO
—Town of North Hempstead, N.Y.; Sustainable Strategies DC http://1.usa.gov/1m0mSsv
—City of Ranson, W.Va.; Sustainable Strategies DC http://1.usa.gov/1flcQUw
—U.S. Coalition for Advanced Diesel Cars; Spectrum Public Affairs http://1.usa.gov/1rjYe7I
—Beverly Hills Unified School District; Burton Kamins Advocacy http://1.usa.gov/1hIrlvW
—City of Lansing, Mich.; Sustainable Strategies DC http://1.usa.gov/1kcYMcO
—SNCF America Inc.; Robert White Associates Inc. http://1.usa.gov/1itLo1cback
Foxx: Distracted driving an ‘epidemic’ back
By Scott Wong | 4/28/14 12:55 PM EDT
Distracted driving is an “epidemic,” Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said Monda, and vowed to keep up the fight started by his predecessor, Ray LaHood, five years ago.
Speaking at the Harvard School of Public Health, Foxx noted that the institution was founded a century ago during a cholera epidemic that claimed 800,000 lives. The Spanish flu later killed more people than World War I, he said.
“So it’s no wonder that the medical community stood up and said, ‘Let’s organize. Let’s bring more science to the fight. Let’s figure out how to prevent this sickness on a broad scale,’” Fox said. “About 100 years later, we are facing an epidemic of a different sort.”
States and cities have seen progress in combating distracted driving when they combine public awareness campaigns with heavily visible enforcement efforts. That’s a “winning duo,” Foxx said.
“Data showed that if we cracked down and spoke up at the same time, it worked,” he said.
At DOT, officials will continue to produce videos of people whose lives have been affected by distracted driving accidents. The latest, which will be released this week, will feature the story of a young woman who crashed her vehicle after checking a text message from her mother.
Foxx said he’s hopeful transportation and public health officials can change distracted drivers’ behavior.
“We’ve been here before. In the 1970s, almost 90 percent of Americans did not buckle up. Today, 90 percent do,” the secretary said.
“We’re going to keep the fight up on seat belts. We’re going to keep up the fight on drunken driving, but we’re also going to keep up the fight on distracted driving,” he said.back
Schumer releases Port Authority reform proposal back
By Dana Rubinstein - Capital New York | 4/28/14 1:07 PM EDT
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) unveiled a seven-point plan Monday to fix the embattled Port Authority of New York and New Jersey by amending the federal compact that created it.
Schumer's plan would require the agency's board select its executive director, not the New York governor, as dictated by tradition.
The plan would also vest that executive director with "full managerial control," require commissioners to have relevant experience, establish procedures to enable multiyear financial and capital plans and forbid the Port Authority from spending money on and acquiring non-revenue-generating projects outside the agency's core mission.
Schumer intends to ask the authority's board to support the package and then push for it in Congress.
Reform of the bistate authority has become a hot topic in the aftermath of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's Bridgegate scandal.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who prior to the scandal had taken limited interest in the subject, has now declared structural improvements of the authority to be a priority.
Christie, for his part, has said he is "intrigued" by the idea of splitting the authority in two. back
Procast: Al Gore, The Keystone pipeline and Russian sanctions back
By POLITICO Pro staff | 4/28/14 5:42 PM EDT
Congress is back in town, and that means supporters of the Keystone XL pipeline are looking to put the project back on the legislative agenda in response to the Obama administration’s latest delay. Meanwhile, the U.S. imposes sanctions on some energy oligarchs close to Vladimir Putin. And is Al Gore still the right messenger for the climate action movement? POLITICO Pro Editor Marty Kady dives into these issues in this week’s podcast with Energy and Transportation Editor Bob King and reporters Darren Samuelsohn, Talia Buford and Darius Dixon.back
NATIONAL NEWS
Think Progress: More Than 63,000 Bridges Crossed 250 Million Times A Day Need Significant Repairs
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2014/04/25/3430786/bridges-structurally-deficient/
The United States has more than 63,000 bridges that are structurally deficient and in need of significant repairs, according to an analysis of government data by the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA). Drivers cross these bridges 250 million times each day. They are all at least 39 years old except for one.