Infrastructure in the News: January 12, 2015
NATIONAL NEWS
New York Times: Raise the Gas Tax to Fix America’s Roads (Editorial)
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/11/opinion/sunday/raise-the-gas-tax-to-fix-americas-roads.html
Gasoline prices have fallen more than 40 percent since the end of June thanks to the collapse of global oil prices. That makes this the perfect time for Congress to overcome its longstanding terror of offending the nation’s motorists and raise the tax on gasoline and diesel fuel. The results could only be beneficial: for the nation’s roads, bridges and transit systems, which badly need repair; for the budget; and, to the extent that higher taxes encourage greater fuel efficiency, for the climate.
Reuters: U.S. Transportation Dept Official Feinberg to Lead Rail Regulator
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/01/11/us/11reuters-usa-dot-railways.html
WASHINGTON — Sarah Feinberg, the U.S. secretary of transportation's chief of staff, will lead the nation's railroad regulator as the department works to finalize oil train safety rules, according to an agency email sent on Sunday.
Chicago Tribune: Could cheaper gas further fuel dip in mass transit ridership?
Chicago Tribune: Federal railroad chief returning to Chicago to focus on transportation issues
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-railroad-szabo-cmap-met-1107-20141106-story.html
The nation's top railroad official is stepping down and will return to his Chicago-area roots to join the metropolitan region's planning agency to work on local transportation issues, officials said Thursday.
New York Times: When the Parking Space Becomes a Park
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/11/business/when-the-parking-space-becomes-a-park.html?_r=0
The three parking spots on the street directly in front of Tony’s Pizza Napoletana, in the North Beach neighborhood of San Francisco, have been the site of a rap-music video, poetry readings, a fashion photo shoot and jazz mini-concerts.
Tech Crunch: Uber Announces Price Cuts In 48 U.S. Cities, But Guarantees Its Drivers Will Earn More
http://techcrunch.com/2015/01/08/uber-us-price-cuts/
A big part of the reason Uber has raised two billion dollar funding rounds is that offering service is capital intensive. In some markets battling its rivals necessitates aggressive price cuts, while in others offering price reduction is a way to appeal to more consumers and widen awareness of its service.
Utne: Solutions for a More Walkable America
http://www.utne.com/community/walking-movement-zbsz1501zhur.aspx#axzz3ObzhsUNX
A diverse coalition that links fields as varied as business, education, health care, transportation, recreation, social justice, community revitalization and grassroots organizing, the walking movement is advancing on many fronts to encourage Americans to walk more and remove the barriers that keep us off our feet. “Every profession is now starting to see the importance of walkability in our communities — real estate, health care, traffic engineering, economic development, urban planning, sustainability,” reports Dan Burden, Walkability Expert for the Blue Zones project who has traveled to more 3,500 communities over the past four decades to promote walking.
STATE NEWS
AP: Traffic Flows After Golden Gate Bridge Safety Barrier Added
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/01/12/us/ap-us-golden-gate-closure.html
SAN FRANCISCO — Traffic flowed again Monday on the Golden Gate Bridge after a weekend closure to install a safety barrier designed to reduce dangers of head-on crashes.
New York Times: New Golden Gate Bridge Barrier Draws Sighs of Relief
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/12/us/new-golden-gate-bridge-barrier-draws-sighs-of-relief.html
SAN FRANCISCO — Dillon Hartwig’s commute from south of San Francisco to a Sausalito restaurant took three times longer than usual this weekend because his usual route — over the Golden Gate Bridge — was closed.
Boston Globe: Revenue to dictate difficult choices on Olympic transit projects
To hear backers of the 2024 Boston Olympics tell it, the projects necessary to pull off the event have already been approved and are ready to go: a nearly $1 billion expansion of South Station, new trains to run from the Back Bay to South Boston, an upgraded JFK/UMass Station in Dorchester. All that is needed now, they say, is a kick from the Olympics to make them a reality.
AP: Highlights of Los Angeles-Area Stadium Proposal
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/01/12/us/ap-us-nfl-los-angeles-glance.html
LOS ANGELES — Highlights of the proposal to build a domed stadium that could become home for an NFL team as part of a new development:
AP: LA-Area Stadium Developers Expect $100M in Reimbursements
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/01/12/us/ap-us-nfl-los-angeles.html
LOS ANGELES — The developers behind a sprawling sports and housing complex in the Los Angeles suburbs — whose centerpiece stadium could become home for an NFL team — expect to recoup up to $100 million in local tax dollars in the first five years of operation, an Associated Press review has found.
Washington Post: The Boston Globe’s editorial board is not enthused about its city’s Olympic bid
The Olympic Games in 2024 will not be hosted in the nation's capital, a disappointment for Mayor Muriel Bowser but a major victory for the city's residents, who will not be saddled with the exorbitant costs of hosting the two-week event. That misfortune could instead fall to Boston, which was the U.S. city chosen by the national Olympic committee to bid for it. The Boston Globe's editorial board is skeptical of the idea:
Washington Post: Highlights of Los Angeles-area stadium proposal
LOS ANGELES — Highlights of the proposal to build a domed stadium that could become home for an NFL team as part of a new development:
Progressive Railroading: Denver RTD makes the case for a public-private funding approach
IT'S BEEN A DECADE since voters approved a four-tenths-of-a-cent sales tax increase to help fund a massive, multibillion-dollar transit expansion project in Denver that includes 122 miles of new light- and commuter-rail lines, 57 new stations and a redeveloped Union Station.
Tampa Bay Times: Editorial: Tampa's streetcar has greater potential
http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/editorials/editorial-tampas-streetcar-has-greater-potential/2213086
From Atlanta to Tucson, the streetcar is the hot transit option for bustling downtowns. Compact, affordable and shovel-ready, these projects are seen as attractive pieces of mass transit systems in major urban areas and are about quality of life as much as efficient movement. Tampa could join those progressive cities by following up on a new report that details options for extending its streetcar, which is now more novelty than useful transportation. Hillsborough County's mass transit agency, HART, should take the next step and launch a more thorough study of the promising project.
City Lab: Why One Florida City Reversed Its Road Diet
http://www.citylab.com/commute/2015/01/why-one-florida-city-reversed-its-road-diet/384307/
In mid-2013, a mile-long stretch of 8th Avenue in Gainesville, Florida, went on a road diet. Four vehicle lanes became two for cars and two for cyclists (as shown in the rendering above). Pedestrians on adjacent sidewalks gained a bit more separation from moving traffic. A painted median reserved road space for a pleasantly landscaped version to come.
Salt Lake Tribune: New bike paths key in long-range transportation plan
http://www.sltrib.com/home/2038803-155/new-bike-paths-key-in-long-range
Highways and mass transit have long been the two main pillars of regional transportation plans. But officials are now adding a third: bicycle paths, with plans to vastly expand them throughout the Wasatch Front.
WNYC: For Drivers Who Kill or Maim, a Call for Prosecution
http://www.wnyc.org/story/families-ask-das-prosecute-reckless-drivers-who-kill-seriously-injure/
The parents, siblings and children of those killed by reckless drivers in New York gathered on the steps of City Hall Sunday holding pictures of loved ones along with signs that read: “No Charges Filed.”
POLITICO MORNING TRANSPORTATION
By Heather Caygle | 1/12/15 5:44 AM EST
With help from Kathryn A. Wolfe and Kevin Robillard
KICKING INTO HIGH GEAR: Welcome back! After a busy first week for the 114th Congress that included lots of Republican gas tax talk (did anyone see that coming?), things are really getting underway now. What some might call the Super Bowl of the transportation world is in full swing this week — the Transportation Research Board’s 94th annual meeting. TRB draws 12,000 transpo-loving folks from around the world to D.C. for the weeklong event, which includes 750 sessions covering all modes of transportation. The meeting has something for everyone from a forum on pavement performance to flashier events featuring prominent DOT officials.
What to watch for today:
-In the morning DOT Deputy Secretary Victor Mendez hosts a panel with leaders from all of the department’s modes to talk about current rulemakings and improving safety.
-At 1:30 p.m., Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx will be on hand to talk about the department’s 30-year plan for addressing long-term transportation needs, preview the year ahead and participate in a Q&A.
TOP WHITE HOUSE FOLKS SKIP AUTO SHOW: Elsewhere in the wide world of transpo, the North American International Auto Show is currently happening in Detroit. And while there will be some familiar faces — NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind is expected to meet with automakers today and talk to the press — there are some notable absences: top administration officials. For the first time since President Barack Obama took over the White House, none of his cabinet secretaries will be making an appearance at the auto show. The lack of attendance is particularly noticeable given Obama’s victory lap last week, stopping in Michigan to give a speech hailing the end (and success) of the auto bailout.
What to expect from Rosekind: At a roundtable with reporters last week Rosekind said he was already setting up meetings with automakers over high-profile recall issues and hinted at revealing more details during his auto show appearance. The new NHTSA chief said its important automakers know he means business when it comes to safety issues, warning that if auto companies fall down on the job, “you can pretty much count on us being there.” Just last week, DOT announced a $70 million fine against Honda for failing to report nearly 1,730 death and injury claims over the last decade, the largest penalty ever levied as a result of a NHTSA investigation.
More on the guest list: The Detroit News reports: “The Obama administration’s cabinet secretaries are skipping the North American International Auto Show this year — after six years of touring the show to boost the industry. ...Last year, Vice President Joe Biden toured the Detroit show in a show of support for the city of Detroit during its record-setting bankruptcy restructuring. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, Environmental Protection Agency chief Gina McCarthy and Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker also toured the show. This year, none of them are attending. The new National Highway Traffic Safety Administration chief Mark Rosekind will tour the show Monday and meet in the afternoon with major automakers. Some lower level EPA and Commerce officials — including Janet McCabe, EPA acting assistant administrator, and the Commerce Department’s Jay Williams — will attend the show along with a member of the National Transportation Safety Board, Earl Weener.” Read the story: http://bit.ly/17yzGoV
DOT CHIEF OF STAFF MOVES TO FRA: Sarah Feinberg, chief of staff for Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, has been tapped to lead the FRA just days after Administrator Joe Szabo’s departure. Feinberg will step in as FRA acting administrator starting today, taking over for Szabo whose last day was Friday. Foxx called Feinberg his “partner and closest advisor” in a staff email obtained by MT. "Early on, I asked Sarah to focus on critical rail issues and to work with Administrator Szabo to oversee the deep-dive audit of the Metro North system following the tragic 2013 derailment. I have also relied upon her to lead our department's work on crude-by-rail issues,” Foxx wrote in the email. Feinberg will be the second woman ever to lead the agency. Before coming to DOT, she had communications-related jobs at Facebook and Bloomberg in addition to working at the White House and on Capitol Hill. Dorval Carter, a deputy chief of staff, will step in as acting chief of staff, and Dan Katz will move up to fill his old deputy spot.
WELCOME TO A BRAND NEW WEEK. Good morning and thanks for reading POLITICO’s Morning Transportation, your daily tipsheet on trains, planes, automobiles and ports.
Want to chat? Send any scoops, tips, complaints, song lyrics or funny jokes to hcaygle@politico.com or send a tweet: @heatherscope. Please don’t forget to follow @Morning_Transpo and @POLITICOPro.
“And it's my name that's on that Jag, so remove your bags, let me call you a cab…” http://bit.ly/1erKGEE
DOT NOW ACCEPTING MEXICAN TRUCKING APPLICATIONS: DOT will begin accepting applications for Mexican truckers who want operating authority to haul goods in the U.S., a move that’s modeled after a three-year pilot program that ended in October. The pilot program allowed Mexican carriers to operate in the U.S. beyond the border zone but was criticized by groups representing independent trucks and labor interests for the lack of participation — only 15 carriers were in the program. Federal officials have defended the low participation rate, saying in spite of that they conducted more than 5,500 safety inspections. And analysis of those inspections coupled with inspection data from the 1,000 Mexican carriers already allowed to operated in the U.S. showed that Mexican truckers are just as safe as their Canadian and U.S. counterparts.
“Opening the door to a safe cross-border trucking system with Mexico is a major step forward in strengthening our relationship with the nation’s third largest trading partner, and in meeting our obligations under NAFTA,” Foxx said in a statement. The controversial pilot program was supported by ATA and the Chamber of Commerce but opposed by OOIDA, the Teamsters Union and House Transportation ranking member Peter DeFazio. “I am deeply disappointed," DeFazio said in a statement. "They are justifying this decision, using data collected from Mexican trucks that they allowed to operate long haul in the U.S. as enterprise carriers, avoiding the more arduous pilot program. These carriers were not subject to the more rigorous safety inspections, electronic monitoring of hours of service compliance, and other measures to which pilot program carriers were subject.” Here’s the report DOT sent to Congress Friday: http://1.usa.gov/1AOeeIz. And read more here: http://politico.pro/1smgXWC
THINGS ARE FALLING INTO PLACE: As the 114th Congress settles in, more subcommittee leadership posts are being announced. On the Commerce Committee, Nebraska Sen. Deb Fischer has been tapped to lead the subcommittee with oversight of surface and maritime transportation issues and New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte will head the committee's aviation panel. Sen. Marco Rubio will lead the panel with oversight of the Coast Guard. As for Senate Appropriations, Jack Reed will be the top Democrat on the panel overseeing transportation funding. Sen. Patty Murray, chairwoman of the THUD subcommittee in the last Congress, will now be the ranking member of the health and human services subcommittee.
AIRASIA BLACK BOX FOUND: After days of being hampered by unpredictable weather, search crews have found one of the black boxes from the AirAsia wreckage. More from the AP: “Divers retrieved one of the black boxes Monday from the AirAsia plane that plummeted more than two weeks ago into the Java Sea, a major breakthrough in the slow-moving hunt to recover bodies and wreckage. The flight data recorder was found under part of the plane's wing and brought to the surface early in the morning, said Henry Bambang Soelistyo, head of the national search and rescue agency. Divers began zeroing in on the site a day earlier after three Indonesian ships picked up intense pings from the area, but they were unable to see it due to strong currents and poor visibility, said Suryadi Bambang Supriyadi, operation coordinator at the national search and rescue agency. …Searchers will continue to scour the seabed to try to locate the other black box, the cockpit voice recorder, which is believed to be emitting a separate signal between 2 meters (yards) to 20 meters (22 yards) away, he said.” Full story: http://nyti.ms/1wNTKsU
THE AUTOBAHN (SPEED READ):
-New York Times editorial: It’s time to raise the gas tax. http://nyti.ms/14mA9Is
-Volvo looking to be first automaker to export Chinese cars to the U.S. Bloomberg: http://bloom.bg/1y10o3w
-Multimillionaire tries to save bike share pioneer. The New York Times: http://nyti.ms/1DJWTPi (h/t Kevin Robillard)
-Germany calling for tighter security laws regarding airline passenger data. The Wall Street Journal: http://on.wsj.com/14KabzV
-Tesla having trouble going mainstream. Business Insider: http://read.bi/1tY3sYA
-Some of the best outfits from the annual “no pants” subway day over the weekend. Refinery29: http://r29.co/1y92UmH
-Uber sidesteps ban in China: http://bit.ly/1tYATA3
-“The Uberization of everything.” Slate: http://bit.ly/17yGRNC
THE COUNTDOWN: Highway and transit policy expires in 139 days.The FAA reauthorization expires in 261 days. The 2016 presidential election is in 666 days.
THE DAY AHEAD:
Jan. 11-15 — The Transportation Research Board holds its 94th annual meeting, "Corridors to the Future: Transportation and Technology,” which includes appearances by Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx and FTA acting Administrator Therese McMillan among others. Washington.
10:00 a.m. — The Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board holds regular committee and board meetings. Washington.
3:30 p.m. — NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind meets with the media at the North American International Auto Show. Detroit.
Check back tomorrow.
Stories from POLITICO Pro
U.S. moves to make Mexican trucks permanent
U.S. moves to make Mexican trucks permanent back
By Heather Caygle | 1/9/15 4:50 PM EST
Federal officials are making permanent a controversial three-year pilot program that allows Mexican truckers to haul goods inside the U.S. beyond the border zone.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration will soon start accepting applications from Mexican truckers who didn’t participate in the pilot but want the authority to operate beyond the U.S.-Mexico border region.
“Opening the door to a safe cross-border trucking system with Mexico is a major step forward in strengthening our relationship with the nation’s third largest trading partner, and in meeting our obligations under NAFTA,” Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in a statement.
The move is likely to be met with significant backlash from groups representing independent truckers and labor interests, who teamed up in 2011 to unsuccessfully sue DOT in an attempt to scuttle the program.
The program’s fate has been uncertain over the last few months, with the pilot having expired in mid-October and DOT reluctant to offer any clues about its future.
Critics maintain that FMCSA didn’t have enough participants to determine if it would be safe to make the program permanent, an assessment the DOT’s Inspector General agreed with in a report late last month.
FMCSA maintains the program is safe, saying the agency’s decision also took into account safety data from the nearly 1,000 Mexico carriers already allowed to operate beyond the U.S. border zone. A FMCSA analysis determined that those carriers and the 15 pilot participants operated just as safely as U.S. and Canadian carriers over the life of the program.
Federal officials have said that it was hard to get truckers to participate in the pilot because FMCSA’s initial attempt at a cross-border trucking program abruptly ended in 2009 after Congress eliminated funding. That resulted in retaliation from Mexico, which accused the U.S. of violating NAFTA trade requirements, and potentially scared off some Mexican carriers.
The two countries reached a deal in 2011— Mexico would temporarily lift the tariffs in exchange for the U.S. reinstituting the pilot program. FMCSA making the program permanent is expected to satisfy NAFTA provisions and result in the permanent end of more than $2 billion in annual retaliatory tariffs.
“We have been, and will continue to work with Mexico to ensure that the threat of retaliatory duties will now be brought to a swift conclusion as well,” U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman said in a statement.
FMCSA submitted a report to Congress on the program today and plans to publish a notice in the Federal Register announcing it’s accepting operating applications from Mexican truckers.back
POLITICO Pro Transportation Whiteboard: Feinberg tapped for FRA chief
1/11/15 5:53 PM EST
The new head of the Federal Railroad Administration will be Sarah Feinberg, POLITICO has learned.
Feinberg, who is currently Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx's chief of staff, will take over for Joe Szabo, whose last day was Friday.
"As all of you know, since joining DOT 18 months ago, Sarah has been my partner and closest advisor, and has also worked very closely with the FRA. Early on, I asked Sarah to focus on critical rail issues and to work with Administrator Szabo to oversee the deep-dive audit of the Metro North system following the tragic 2013 derailment. I have also relied upon her to lead our Department's work on crude-by-rail issues. At critical times, she has led daily or even twice-daily internal meetings on the issue, met with stakeholders and other concerned citizens as the Department contemplated safety advisories and emergency orders, and helped to finalize our proposed rule," Foxx said in a staff email obtained by POLITICO.
Dorval Carter, a deputy chief of staff, will step in as acting chief of staff, and Dan Katz will move up to fill his old deputy spot.
These changes will take effect tomorrow.
— Kathryn A. Wolfe
https://www.politicopro.com/energy/whiteboard/?wbid=46414
NATIONAL NEWS
New York Times: Raise the Gas Tax to Fix America’s Roads (Editorial)
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/11/opinion/sunday/raise-the-gas-tax-to-fix-americas-roads.html
Gasoline prices have fallen more than 40 percent since the end of June thanks to the collapse of global oil prices. That makes this the perfect time for Congress to overcome its longstanding terror of offending the nation’s motorists and raise the tax on gasoline and diesel fuel. The results could only be beneficial: for the nation’s roads, bridges and transit systems, which badly need repair; for the budget; and, to the extent that higher taxes encourage greater fuel efficiency, for the climate.