NATIONAL NEWS
Associated Press: Transportation Security Administration Moving to Alexandria
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/08/13/us/ap-us-travel-brief-tsa-headquarters.html
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The Transportation Security Administration is moving its headquarters to Alexandria.
STATE NEWS
Washington Post: Cause of last week’s Metro derailment had been detected in early July
The track defect that caused last week’s Metro derailment was detected more than a month ago, but it was not repaired, the agency’s top executive said Wednesday.
Associated Press: Audit finds NYC subway delays increased last year
NEW YORK — The New York City subway’s on-time performance declined last year. That’s according to an audit by the state comptroller’s office.
New York Magazine: Chuck Schumer Has an Idea for How to Prevent ‘Transportation Armageddon’
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2015/08/chuck-schumer-transportation-armageddon-plan.html
“A pessimist sees a dark tunnel. The optimist sees a light at the end of the tunnel. The realist sees a freight train. The train conductor sees three idiots standing on the tracks. … Right now, we’re the ones standing on the tracks.”
New Jersey 101.5: Transportation underfunding is nothing new, assemblyman says
http://nj1015.com/transportation-underfunding-is-nothing-new-assemblyman-says/
The recent traffic jams and lengthy NJ Transit delays are all related to the state’s refusal to fund transportation at proper levels according to the chairman of the Assembly Transportation Committee.
Journal Star: Work together on roads, U.S. transportation chief says in Nebraska
A six-year highway bill would "vanquish the specter of uncertainty" that haunts roads projects across the country, U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said Wednesday during a visit to Lincoln.
Los Angeles Daily News: Riding L.A. transportation into the future
http://www.dailynews.com/opinion/20150812/riding-la-transportation-into-the-future
As with anything about transportation in Los Angeles, the new plan to make the city more bus-, bike- and pedestrian-friendly will require some flexibility.
WNCT: Residents set to weigh in on Greenville transportation bond
http://wnct.com/2015/08/13/residents-set-to-weigh-in-on-greenville-transportation-bond/
GREENVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) – Folks in Greenville have to chance to speak out about a transportation bond spending your tax dollars, and potentially hiking your tax rates.
POLITICO Morning Transportation
By Jennifer Scholtes | 8/13/15 5:38 AM EDT
With help from Lauren Gardner, Adam Sneed and Heather Caygle
PILOT REPORTS OF DRONE SIGHTINGS LEAP DRASTICALLY: Following a substantial uptick in pilot reports of drone sighting this year, the FAA is trying to send a signal that the agency is in fact levying civil penalties against drone operators flying in restricted airspace and has dozens of open enforcement cases. Just in the first eight months of this year, pilots have reported more than 650 drone sightings — definitely a whopping increase from the 238 sightings in all of 2014. “The FAA wants to send out a clear message that operating drones around airplanes and helicopters is dangerous and illegal,” the agency warned in a written statement Wednesday night. “Unauthorized operators may be subject to stiff fines and criminal charges, including possible jail time.”
IT’S THURSDAY: Good morning and thanks for reading POLITICO’s Morning Transportation, your daily tipsheet on trains, planes, automobiles and ports.
Reach out: jscholtes@politico.com or @jascholtes.
“I'm really sorry, Steven, but your bicycle's been stolen.” http://bit.ly/1JUXfs1
BLUMENTHAL DEMANDS FRA STOP LAGGING ON PTC PENALTIES: Sen. Richard Blumenthal called out the FRA on Wednesday for giving “scant information” in its latest report on positive train control implementation about how the agency actually plans to penalize rail operators that aren’t in compliance. “The report provides a general schedule of fines, notes that FRA has discretion in their implementation, and just vaguely cautions that penalties ‘could’ be ‘substantial,’” the senator wrote to FRA acting Administrator Sarah Feinberg. “More than just rhetoric, the FRA must demonstrate that willful or even negligent failure to set deadlines and meet them will have meaningful consequences. Railroads must have clear incentive to implement PTC by the Dec. 31 deadline — which remains current law, despite ongoing debate in Congress. The disciplinary regimen must be real and realistic with a penalty approach that recognizes good faith efforts and punishes intentional violations.”
A refresher on that latest PTC report, which details how more than 700 trains will need another three to five years to install the safety technology: http://politico.pro/1HADakz.
Except that one: Up in Connecticut, The CT Monitor reports that Blumenthal wants to spare his home state from PTC penalties: “While Blumenthal is calling for tough punishment for those rail companies, he’s willing to make an exception for the state of Connecticut, which, like the nation’s railroads must implement PTC because it owns hundreds of miles of track in the state. The Connecticut Department of Transportation said PTC would not be implemented on the tracks the state owns in Connecticut until 2018, at least two years after the deadline. … Blumenthal said the state is making a ‘good faith effort’ to comply with the federal regulations regarding PTC … ”
METRO DERAILMENT DIVULGENCE FURTHER BRUISES PUBLIC IMAGE: Just as Metro was beginning to recover from the public outrage spurred by the fatal smoke incident earlier this year, the transit agency’s interim general manager admitted this week that Metro had known about the track problem that caused a train to derail last week. The AP reports (http://cbsloc.al/1DOGsFI) that interim general manager Jack Requa said Wednesday that the faulty track was discovered on July 9. “I don’t want to mince words, but this was totally unacceptable,” Requa said. “It’s Metro’s responsibility totally.”
FOXX GETS SUED: A woman trying to recover money in a bankruptcy case is suing Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, claiming that a now-defunct bus maker paid Foxx to be its general counsel but that he “spent little to no time” at the company’s offices, the Wall Street Journal reports: http://on.wsj.com/1EnBOtl. The secretary held the position as general counsel while he also served as mayor of Charlotte.
TSA PLANS ARLINGTON ESCAPE: As cool as it is to work across the street from Costco, officials at TSA headquarters are planning to give up their Pentagon City digs in about two years to move five Metro stops south to Alexandria (but closer to Springfield than Old Town). ARLnow.com reports (http://bit.ly/1IJ26Kz) that GSA “touted the new lease as a money-saving move that will save taxpayers more than $95 million over a 15-year lease. The government is paying rent of $36 per square foot, more than 25 percent below projected market rents, and getting $50 million for tenant fit-out costs and moving expenses.” So TSA employees: You better get your fill of those $1.50 Kirkland hotdogs while you can.
FCC MOVES TO BESTOW MORE AIRWAVE ACCESS ON AMTRAK POLICE: Upon the urging of lawmakers, FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler is circulating proposed rules to allow Amtrak police to tap into some public safety frequencies other law enforcement agencies use. Pro’s Alex Byers explains that “current regulations block railroad police from licensing or operating on public safety spectrum. But several members of Congress from states along Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor line have written [to] Wheeler in the last several weeks pressuring him to give Amtrak police access to the airwaves, a move they say would have been helpful in May during the Amtrak train crash in Philadelphia that left eight people dead. Wheeler circulated the little-noticed item last month, according to FCC documents, but the agency’s commissioners have not completed the voting process yet.” More from Pro: http://politico.pro/1NbGMRk.
AIRLINES DUKE IT OUT OVER BIG-BUCK LAX FLYERS: Spurred by a desire to court Hollywood types, several major airlines continue to up the ante at LAX as they all fight for high-paying, A-list flyers who want red carpet treatment on LA-to-NY routes. Bloomberg Business explains that “LAX is one of a handful of major U.S. airports where no one carrier dominates — each of the four biggest airlines now holds market share between 14 percent and 18 percent. … To court the most desirable passengers, the airlines have been rolling out amenity-laden cross-country flights, lie-flat business-class seats, vented compartments that can house a pet and a slew of more flights. … Up next are fancy new terminals: Delta, United Airlines and Southwest Airlines Co. are spending more than $1.3 billion renovating facilities there. … The stakes shouldn’t be underestimated. Flights between L.A. and New York’s Kennedy will produce almost $1 billion in revenue this year, more than any single route in the U.S., according to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics.” The story: http://bloom.bg/1gCm9ki.
HOW DEMS COULD TACKLE THE UBER ECONOMY: Presidential hopefuls Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders have found themselves in a tough spot as they try to support booming new companies like Uber and Lyft without alienating organized labor over concerns about independent contractors. But The Washington Post explains how they could bridge that gap by focusing on “a broader conversation about the future of work in a 21st-century economy.” It includes new protections for part-time workers and making sure companies don’t designate workers as contractors just to reap tax benefits. More from the Post: http://wapo.st/1IHQibs.
THE AUTOBAHN (SPEED READ):
— Freight volumes fell in July as slow exports, consumer spending weighed. The Wall Street Journal: http://on.wsj.com/1P8pYJl
— The four types of millennial travelers. CityLab: http://bit.ly/1Pm58H1
— Metro boosts video surveillance on buses to fight assaults on drivers. The Washington Post: http://wapo.st/1N4Wezt
— After reaching an agreement with NASA, Google began using U.S. airspace to test its drone delivery system, with plans to conduct additional tests in California. The Guardian: http://bit.ly/1Plllwbb
— Working together to improve our nation’s transportation. Op-Ed, The Lincoln Journal Star: http://bit.ly/1JTP2Ev
THE COUNTDOWN: Highway and transit policy expires in 78 days. DOT appropriations run out and the FAA reauthorization expires in 50 days. The 2016 presidential election is in 456 days.
THE DAY AHEAD:
8 a.m. — DOT’s advisory committee on intelligent transportation systems holds a meeting. Crystal City Marriott at Reagan National Airport, 1999 Jefferson Davis Hwy, Arlington, Va.
9 a.m. — Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx will speak at an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission conference on conflicts in employment laws. Washington Hilton, 1919 Connecticut Ave. N.W., International Ballroom.
Did we miss an event? Let MT know at transpocalendar@politicopro.com.
Stories from POLITICO Pro
Hundreds of trains to miss year-end PTC deadline, FRA says
Hundreds of trains to miss year-end PTC deadline, FRA says back
By Jennifer Scholtes | 8/7/15 6:05 PM EDT
More than 700 trains will need another three to five years to install the safety technology that could have prevented this spring’s deadly Amtrak crash, federal regulators say in a new report — the latest acknowledgment that the industry is nowhere close to meeting the Dec. 31 deadline set by Congress.
Operators of nearly 200 additional trains have not provided enough information to evaluate whether they can meet the deadline for installing the systems, known as positive train control.
The Federal Railroad Administration’s report comes as Congress continues to grapple with the details of how to extend the deadline and what penalties will befall train operators who don’t have PTC in place by the end of this year.
The FRA report sent Friday to House and Senate appropriators reiterates the common knowledge that the vast majority of U.S. railroads will miss the deadline, but it also lays out some stunning predictions about railroads that won’t even be nearing the final phases of implementation until 2018 or 2020.
The multiyear transportation bill the Senate just passed would give railroads another three years to comply with the mandate, but the FRA says more than 400 trains — run by four different operators — aren’t even expected to be ready for PTC system testing until 2018, when that new deadline would hit. Another 310 trains, operated by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, aren’t likely to near that final phase until 2020. And four operators, running a total of nearly 190 trains, haven’t yet provided enough information for the FRA to weigh in with a prediction.
The report repeated what FRA officials have long been telling lawmakers: Many railroads just aren’t making much progress or meeting interim agency requirements aimed at driving them toward compliance.
As of this month, for example, the FRA has only received three of 38 required PTC safety plans, despite maintaining years of “constant and consistent contact with railroads to assist on safety plans and offer guidance.”
Even getting railroads to provide progress reports has been difficult, despite the “looming statutory deadline and the threat of aggressive enforcement actions (including the imposition of significant civil penalties),” the report says.
Ed Greenberg, a spokesman for the Association of American Railroads, argues that there have been “unprecedented technology challenges” for railroads trying to meet the deadline, and he says the new FRA report illustrates those complexities.
“The nation’s freight railroads have been going all out for years to progress on PTC deployment and have been working through any technological or installation challenges before submitting reports to the FRA,” Greenberg told POLITICO in a written statement.
Congress will almost surely extend the PTC deadline before year’s end, but how leaders will execute that heavy legislative lift is still a major unknown.
The FRA’s failure to inform Congress of exactly what penalties noncompliant railroads would face after Dec. 31 has prevented Congress from reaching a consensus on how to extend the a deadline, says Shane Skelton, executive director of the Alliance for Innovation and Infrastructure.
“We’re not saying: Jan. 1 the hammer should come down. We don’t want to put a gun to rail,” said Skelton, whose group advocates for PTC compliance. “We just want rail to know what’s expected of them and Congress to know what’s expected of rail.”
With that said, Skelton notes that the rail industry has had plenty of time to prepare for the looming deadline. And he argues that train operators should be interested in installing PTC for its safety benefits, not just because the law requires it.
“This mandate has been in place for five years. It’s not like the administration announced it last year and said: ‘Hey guys, good luck,’” Skelton told POLITICO. “We all need to think about how we can make rail safer, even if we don’t have a binding mandate to do this tomorrow.”
Heather Caygle contributed to this report.back
POLITICO Transportation Whiteboard
Blumenthal demands PTC penalty details from FRA
8/12/15 3:04 PM EDT
Sen. Richard Blumenthal called on the Federal Railroad Administration today to outline how it will impose fines and penalties on the vast majority of railroads nationwide expected to miss the Dec. 31 deadline to install positive train control technology.
In a letter to acting Administrator Sarah Feinberg, Blumenthal blasted a report the agency released last week that said more than 700 trains will need another three to five years to put in place PTC, which could have prevented May’s fatal Amtrak crash in Philadelphia. The report’s findings weren’t surprising, but Blumenthal criticized the FRA for offering “little new information” about how regulators plan to sanction railroads that blow past the deadline.
“If railroads believe they can avoid consequences for deliberate delay or negligent avoidance, the critical goal of PTC implementation will be illusory,” he wrote.
— Lauren Gardner
To view online:
https://www.politicopro.com/go/?wbid=59019