*Note: we are including our Infrastructure Week tipsheet in clips today and every day next week, to keep you all updated on the events and activities taking place as part of this week of action. Visit http://infrastructureweek.org for more information.
NATIONAL NEWS
Business Insider: One of the busiest subway systems in the US is in danger of getting shut down
http://www.businessinsider.com/r-us-seriously-considered-shutting-down-dc-subway-system-2016-5
U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said on Tuesday he seriously considered ordering a shutdown of Washington's troubled subway last week and warned the subway agency he would not hesitate to use that authority if necessary.
The Atlantic: Who gets to drink from the Great Lakes?
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/05/who-gets-to-drink-the-great-lakes/481887/
Water has become the 21st-century equivalent of oil, and a plan to divert water from the Great Lakes to surrounding areas is raising questions about the possibility of future water grabs from far-flung water-sparse regions.
Citylab: Choosing the unwalkable suburbs, or settling for them?
http://www.citylab.com/housing/2016/05/choosing-the-suburbs-or-settling-for-them/481923/
Suburban governments across the U.S. may be making it difficult for young families who want something different to find it.
STATE NEWS
Crosscut: New Data: Viaduct closure hasn’t made traffic much worse
A full week has passed since the End of the World for Seattle commuters, aka the closure of the Alaskan Way Viaduct. But has “Viadoom” (or Vimaggedon or Apocaduct, if you prefer) made things significantly worse, as once predicted? According to the data from Inrix, a local traffic analytics firm, not really.
Boston Globe: How likely is it that the Green Line extension will actually get built?
f the Green Line extension is ever to be built, transportation officials will have to find at least an additional $73 million, money unlikely to come from the state’s coffers. Without an obvious source for those funds, that cost is one of several critical hurdles still standing in the project’s way — among them federal approval, staffing, training, and a construction market that matches the MBTA’s cost estimates.
WRAL (North Carolina): Bill that could help Durham-Orange light rail meets with resistance from rural lawmakers
During last year's budget negotiations, a $500,000 cap for light rail projects appeared in the final draft of the compromise budget between the House and the Senate. The co-chairmen of the House Transportation Committee made it clear Tuesday that the measure originated in the Senate, and they were determined to reverse it.
Star Tribune: Big businesses join final push for $1.79B Southwest light-rail funding
http://www.startribune.com/big-business-joins-final-push-for-southwest-light-rail-funding/378802331/
The final push is on at the Capitol for state legislators to fund a critical piece of the $1.79 billion Southwest light-rail project, and powerful Twin Cities business interests have now publicly entered the fray.
CBS San Francisco: Protected bike lanes on Telegraph Ave. open in Oakland
http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2016/05/10/protected-bike-lanes-on-telegraph-in-oakland-open/
Oakland cut the ribbon Tuesday morning on innovative
new bike lanes along a bustling stretch of Telegraph Avenue.The “parking protected bicycle lanes” have appeared over the last few weeks on Telegraph between 20th and 29th streets. The city removed a traffic lane along that stretch and is now asking motorists to park to the left of a green-striped bicycle lane.
WELCOME TO OUR INFRASTRUCTURE WEEK TIPSHEET
60 events. 150 organizations. Thousands of participants. One week to tell America how #InfrastructureMatters.
Infrastructure Week is just around the corner, kicking off next Monday, May 16, and running through an entire jam-packed week of events. We wanted to send this exclusive pre-week tipsheet as an introduction to all of the great events, studies, news stories, social media engagement opportunities, and more that will be a part of Infrastructure Week 2016.
This year’s theme for the week is Infrastructure Matters. We believe, it matters to our public health and safety, to our communities, to our economy... essentially, to everything. Infrastructure is the nerve system that keeps our country moving. Infrastructure is responsible for keeping everything from water, to electricity, to goods, flowing from one point to another. When it works well, it keeps us safe and healthy, and our economy strong. But as we’ve seen in too many catastrophes in this country, when infrastructure is neglected, it can put people in danger, it dampens our economy, it leaves our roads and skies congested, and it means we fall behind our international competitors.
That’s why we’re spreading the message that Infrastructure Matters through the halls of Congress, across the nation’s capital, and across the country from coast to coast next week. Nearly 150 organizations have signed up to be a part of Infrastructure Week, and together they are planning more than 60 events. As in past years, Infrastructure Week is led by our diverse steering committee of leading national organizations: the AFL-CIO, the American Society of Civil Engineers, Building America’s Future, Brookings Institution’s Metropolitan Policy Program, the National Association of Manufacturers, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and the Value of Water Coalition.
KICKOFF ON MONDAY
REGISTER HERE TO ATTEND!
Or, view the live webcast!
On Monday, May 16 we’ll kick off at the US Chamber of Commerce with an all-star line up, including: Jeh Johnson, Secretary of Homeland Security; Victor Mendez, Deputy Secretary of Transportation, Tom Donohue, U.S. Chamber of Commerce President and CEO; Richard Trumka, AFL-CIO President; Michael Ducker, FedEX Freight President and CEO and U.S. Chamber of Commerce Chairman; Mayor David Condon (Spokane, WA); Mayor Sly James (Kansas City, MO); Mayor Stephanie Miner (Syracuse, NY); Paul Misener, Amazon.com VP Global Innovation Policy; Ray LaHood, Former Secretary of Transportation (Obama Admin); Mary Peters, Former Secretary of Transportation (W. Bush Admin); Rodney Slater, Former Secretary of Transportation (Clinton Admin); James Burnley, Former Secretary of Transportation (Reagan Admin), and many more! Seating is limited, but a few spots are still available if you’d like to attend the event. Register here today!
IN THE NEWS
The nation's subways are falling apart, but the next president might actually fix them -- “Groups from the left and right, led by the AFL-CIO and the Chamber of Commerce, are gathering this month in Washington to press Congress for infrastructure spending at all levels, including roads, bridges and water pipes that have gained urgent attention after dangerous levels of lead leached into the drinking water in Flint, Mich. While few expect to get an infusion of cash this year, they are hoping to lay the groundwork for next year, when a new president often gets a brief window of cooperation with Congress to pass spending bills.” -- LA TIMES, 5/9/16
America's infrastructure $1.44 trln short through 2025 -report -- “America will fall $1.44 trillion short of what it needs to spend on infrastructure through the next decade, a gap that could strip 2.5 million jobs and $4 trillion of gross domestic product from the economy, a report showed on Tuesday. The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) estimates that through 2025, the United States has funded only about 56 percent of its needed infrastructure spending.” -- Reuters, 5/10/16
#INFRASTRUCTUREMATTERS - TAKE ACTION!
Whether you can join us in real life next week or not, please be a part of the online Infrastructure Week conversation! Last year, social media about infrastructure issues reached millions of Americans during I Week, amplifying our message well beyond the rooms where our events happen. We want to make sure we’re as successful this year! Here are five ways to join us:
1. Be part of our Thunderclap: ow.ly/4n6K9Q Start off I-Week with a big bang of social media attention! Help us reach our goal of having 250 organizations all share the same message on social media simultaneously, at 11 am ET on Monday, May 16!
2. Follow us on Twitter, @InfraWeek
3. Use #InfrastructureMatters before and during Infrastructure Week
4. Use the tweets we’ve drafted and graphics we’ve created for you, easily downloaded here.
5. Write to your elected leaders using our online Take Action platform! Write one letter that will automatically be sent to your national, state, and local leaders!
A LOOK AHEAD AT THE INFRASTRUCTURE WEEK CALENDAR
With such a diverse group of affiliates hosting events across the country, there is a plethora of opportunities to attend events in person or online, wherever you are, next week. Here are just a few highlights from the calendar. See the full list of events here.
Monday
Our kickoff, of course: LIVE WEBCAST!
Washington, D.C.: At 1:00 pm, the Bipartisan Policy Center Executive Council on Infrastructure is hosting Bridging the Gap Together: A New Model to Modernize U.S. Infrastructure. Register here.
Washington, D.C.: Eno Technology is presenting: Cheaper, Safer, Faster: How Disruptive Technologies are Changing How We Build and Operate Infrastructure at the House T&I Committee hearing room in Rayburn at 3:00 pm.
Tuesday
Tampa, FL: Building America’s Future and HNTB are hosting an event on technology for the next era of streets and automobiles, How Tampa is Driving the Future of Transportation.
Camden, NJ: American Water and the City of Camden will announce a major milestone in a public-private partnership to improve water and wastewater services, and provide workforce training and skill development in the community. The Mayor of Camden will join this event.
Wednesday
Advocacy Day in Washington, D.C. and around America! Even if you can’t make it to Capitol Hill, write to your delegation!
Washington, DC: Hill briefing and press conference with Gov. Ed Rendell, I Week’s Congressional Co-Chairs Senators Capito and Cardin and Representatives Graves and Maloney, labor and business leaders, and a presentation from American Society of Civil Engineers on the infrastructure investment gap. Register here.
Also, join us for the most fun part of Infrastructure Week - our reception! The widely held event will be from 5:30 pm - 8:00 pm, The Flying Bridge - 444 North Capitol St NW. The reception is co-hosted by Infrastructure Week and Value of Water Coalition, because without water, there would be no ice, no beer, no wine, and no receptions. Register to join us here.
Thursday
Washington, D.C.: Our marquee event for Thursday, Bloomberg Government and Siemens host “The Future of Cities,” taking a deeper dive into how an increasingly urban America will be driven by new technologies, policies, and investments across transportation, energy, water, and more! Featured speakers include former governor and presidential candidate Martin O’Malley!
Cleveland, OH: As part of the Value of Water Coalition's “Local Innovators Tour” the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District will lead a tour of green infrastructure in Cleveland.
On the phone: APTA will host a nationwide press conference call on the Current State of the Nation’s Aging Public Transportation Infrastructure.
Friday
Washington, D.C.: Want to keep talking tech? Join the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation for a look at the digital infrastructure systems that will define the U.S. economy in the future! More info here.
Juneau, AK: When we said Infrastructure Week was nationwide, we weren’t kidding. ASCE is hosting a port tour and new cruise ship dock celebration in Juneau, Alaska!
And the Following Monday...
Washington, D.C.: At 3:00 pm in the Congressional Visitors Center, Airports Council International - North America is presenting Beyond the Runway Coalition: Airport Finance – A Free Market Approach, and Airports as Economics Engines.
Evanston, IL: Mobility 2050: A Vision for Transportation Infrastructure and How We Can Get There will be presented by Association of Equipment Manufacturers and Northwestern University.
TALKING ABOUT INFRASTRUCTURE...
"It is just one more example of the under-investments that have been made. The D.C. Metro historically has been a great strength of this region. But over time, we under-invested in maintenance and repair,” said President Obama, last week regarding the recent problems plaguing Washington’s Metro system.
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!
Infrastructure Week would not be possible without the generous support of members of our Steering Committee, and our 2016 sponsors: Autodesk, The Business Roundtable, HNTB, Siemens, WSP-Parsons Brinckerhoff.
Infrastructure Week is a national week of events; media coverage; and education and advocacy efforts to elevate infrastructure as a critical issue impacting all Americans. Learn more at http://infrastructureweek.org
Politico Morning Transportation
By Martine Powers | 05/11/2016 05:45 AM EDT
With help from Jennifer Scholtes, Lauren Gardner, Heather Caygle and Matthew Nussbaum
*HINT HINT* FROM THUNE: With prospects fading for passage of the House Transportation Committee's FAA bill, Senate Commerce Chairman John Thune is giving Rep. Bill Shuster a not-so-subtle nudge : Give up on your bill, and pass ours. "My sense is that it's an idea that's going to have to be discussed and explored some more and it's going to take a little bit of time," Thune told reporters on Tuesday afternoon. "In the meantime we've got a bill out there that we think works and so I hope they'll, if they come to that conclusion, take a look at our bill," he added.
Growing impatience: Thune - who has made it clear from the get-go that he wants to wrap up the bill by July - intimated that he's beginning to get impatient with the House. "I don't want to do another short-term extension. I don't think that's the way to do this," Thune said. "It's their call to make, but I would hope that if they run the traps and it becomes clear that they don't have the support to do what they want to do on the ATC reform, that they would take a look at our bill."
THEM'S FIGHTIN' WORDS: None-too-pleased with Heritage Action's most recent letter of opposition about the House T&I plan to spin off air traffic control operations into a nonprofit, the Competitive Enterprise Institute posted its own sharply headlined rebuttal: "Why are supposed conservatives willing to kill pro-market air traffic control reform?" CEI's Marc Scribner writes: "Apparently, they've either lost their minds or misplaced their principles."
IT'S WEDNESDAY: Good morning and thanks for tuning into POLITICO's Morning Transportation, your daily tipsheet on all things trains, planes, automobiles and ports.
MT received two correct guesses on the transportation song ("Glass Eyes") from Radiohead's new album: One came from Robert Puentes of the Eno Center for Transportation, and the other from Paul Brubaker of the Alliance for Transportation Innovation (with an assist from his 13-year-old son, Gavin, who apparently has excellent taste in music). Send in your song lyrics: mpowers@politico.com or @martinepowers.
"Hey it's me, I just got off the train/A frightening place, their faces are concrete grey."
AFTER METRO'S LATEST DEBACLE, NO MORE MR. NICE GUY: After criticism from the NTSB last week that the Department of Transportation had been toothless in efforts to ensure safety of transit systems, administrators are are taking pains to bare some of those sharp incisors: Secretary Anthony Foxx told reporters on Tuesday that he had "seriously" considered ordering a shutdown of Metrorail last week, after video surfaced of an Empire Strikes Back-style explosion on a subway platform, and subsequent news that WMATA safety inspectors had been denied access to the tracks for hours. "I will have no hesitation to shut down the system. ... All the tools that we have available to us are on the table - all of them." Foxx said. He added, "If Metro drags its feet in aggressively following that directive, ... we will be back where we were."
Can Foxx really do that? Indeed, DOT has the legal authority to shut down Metro under a provision included in the FAST ACT. Check out page 168: "RESTRICTIONS AND PROHIBITIONS. - The Secretary shall issue restrictions and prohibitions by whatever means are determined necessary and appropriate ... if, through testing, inspection, investigation, audit, or research carried out under this chapter, the Secretary determines that an unsafe condition or practice ... exist such that there is a substantial risk of death or personal injury."
Resistant to safety? Our Jennifer Scholtes recapped Foxx's take on the situation: "Foxx said Metro's safety culture is still deficient and that even WMATA's new track maintenance plan wouldn't have handled the kind of amperage issues DOT has ordered the rail service to fix. Besides trying to determine issues with Metro's hardware, the department is trying to size up the capability of the people using the hardware - some of whom, Foxx said, appear to be 'resistant' to safety protocols. 'It's hard to help somebody who's keeping inspectors off the track for hours at a time,' he said. 'Last Thursday did not inspire confidence.'"
ALMOST THERE? The energy and water appropriations bill is still on track to pass as soon as today, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday, and he confirmed that the Transportation-HUD appropriations bill is the next one headed to the Senate floor, coupled with the Military Construction-VA bill. McConnell told reporters on Tuesday that he's optimistic the Senate will pass a large number of spending bills, but he's frustrated by the pace so far and the extent to which Democrats have slowed progress. "Their slogan, I gather, is 'Do your job.' I would say to them, 'Do your job. Do your job,'" he said, his voice rising. "The basic work of the Senate and the Congress and the House is to pass the funding bills. That's what we're going to be doing here from now to July 15."
NEVER SAY DIE: Art Halvorson, Shuster's just-barely-vanquished opponent in the Pennsylvania primary, is pressing a county court to determine if he can become the Democratic candidate in the November general election. The basis for his argument: Enough Democrats wrote him in on their ballot that he deserves the spot as their candidate. "I wouldn't change who I am, but if the Democrats nominated me, I'd accept that," Halvorson told the Herald-Mail. Halvorson lost to Shuster in the primary by just over 1,000 votes.
DARE TO DREAM, SENATORS: Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Ed Markey came out with an unexpected ask on Tuesday: They want airlines to stop charging baggage fees this summer. (Insert hysterical laughter here.) Their rationale? Putting a hiatus on baggage fees could help deal with the long security lines expected at airports around the country this summer, encouraging people to check their bags rather than take carry-ons, and diminishing the amount of time it takes to get passengers through security checkpoints. "Baggage backup ... significantly slows screening - and often boarding. Airlines should help solve these issues, putting passengers before profits," Markey and Blumenthal wrote. "Screening congestion is solvable - and this step will help. Please do not stand idly as travelers stand in endless lines."
In short - yeah, right. Airlines for America's Jean Medina offered a response to the Blumenthal-Markey proposal: "We have seen NO data to suggest charging customers to check a bag equates to a 27 percent increase in the number of carry-on items. ... This is a misguided attempt at reregulating an industry that has been deregulated - to the benefit of the consumer - since 1978, and would have the unintended consequence of making air travel more expensive." A4A said it's got a better idea on how to cut down wait lines: Get TSA to send adequate staff and equipment to crowded airports.
** A message from the Air Line Pilots Association, International: By proposing to grant Norwegian Air International (NAI) a foreign carrier permit, the Obama Administration is failing to enforce our Open Skies agreement with the European Union, thereby harming tens of thousands of U.S. workers. The Department of Transportation should stand up for U.S. workers and immediately deny NAI's request. http://bit.ly/1Qsm7p6 **
FOXX: NO PLANS FOR MORE TAKATA RECALLS: At Tuesday's sitdown with reporters, Foxx also touched on the ongoing Takata airbag recall: Despite NHTSA's most recent expansion of the recall that almost doubled the number of affected vehicles, Foxx said he doesn't anticipate the list of recalled vehicles to grow anytime soon. He cited the differences between airbags that use desiccant and those that don't, and said the agency continues to believe that those with the drying chemical are not a risk to motorists.
"The desiccant in some of the other airbags, based on the science and the evidence, don't react the same way as the ones without desiccant," Foxx said. "And while there have been some ruptures of those other airbags, they haven't correlated with the type of problem we're seeing with these other ones. ... At present, we don't believe the science and evidence dictates moving toward those other ones. But if it does, we will obviously not hesitate to move that way."
As for questions about Takata's continued financial health, Foxx said he's not worried. "That can't be the top concern we face. ... The information I have is that there is capability to meet the demand, based on the type of recall we've done. And if for some reason Takata falls out of the equation, the manufacturers of the cars are still on the hook to ensure that the recalls happen. So there's some redundancy there. But frankly, if that went into our calculation, I don't think that we'd deserve to be called a safety agency."
OBAMA NOMINATES DOT UNDERSECRETARY: Foxx also weighed in on President Barack Obama's just-announced nomination for DOT's new undersecretary of policy: Blair Anderson, who is currently serving as NHTSA's deputy administrator. "His in-depth knowledge of the Department has been instrumental in helping us tackle some of the most critical issues we face, such as advancing connected and automated vehicle technologies, the Ladders of Opportunity initiative, and overseeing the largest vehicle safety recall in American history," Foxx said. Anderson replaces Carlos Monje, who will stay in the job until Anderson is confirmed.
AVIATION EMISSIONS TALKS REACH CRUISING ALTITUDE: The Montreal-based International Civil Aviation Organization is holding a high-level meeting today through Friday to talk about creating a global market-based mechanism for capping the industry's emissions at their level in 2020. POLITICO Europe's Morning Energy has a comprehensive preview on the meeting, brought to you by Sara Stefanini, but here are the highlights: Today's meeting is "the last important layover until the United Nation agency's 191 member governments meet for a general assembly from September 27 to October 7 ...
" ... The high-level meeting will focus on the ICAO's draft plan for a market-based system to offset carbon emissions. The draft proposes to differentiate between the developed and developing worlds by first imposing the new rules on wealthy countries in 2021, and then on middle-income ones from 2026. Least developed and small island countries would be fully exempt. The ICAO's hope is that most of the important decisions will be agreed this week, so that all that's left to do is finalize it all." Read more here. http://politi.co/1X0cy8s
AN UNLIKELY PARTNERSHIP: Uber is giving its stamp of approval to a new drivers association, the Independent Drivers Guild, that would represent 35,000 Uber drivers in New York as part of the state's Machinists union. According to The New York Times, the five-year deal allows members to hold monthly meetings with company management in New York City, and drivers can appeal company decisions to bar them from the platform. Members will also have access to discounted legal services, roadside assistance, and insurance.
Uber also announced that it's partnering with the Freelancers Union to help the ride-hailing company implement "portable benefits" for drivers nationwide. "It's not a one-size-fits-all situation, either by company, by sector or even in our case by city," Uber's David Plouffe told POLITICO.
DRIVE SAFE: Here's a shocking stat, from AAA's new study on marijuana use and fatal car crashes: "This study estimates that an average of 10% of all drivers involved in fatal crashes in Washington [state] between 2010 and 2014 had detectable THC in their blood at the time of the crash." Researchers said evidence suggests that the rate of marijuana-related fatal crashes increased in the months after the state passed a bill legalizing recreational use for people 21 and older.
THE AUTOBAHN (SPEED READ):
- New York/New Jersey airports say they "can no longer tolerate ... continuing inadequacy" of TSA screenings. The Verge.
- "The D.C. startup that's crazy enough to take on Uber and Lyft." The Washington Post.
- D.C. Circuit dismisses drone privacy rules challenge. POLITICO Pro.
- Boeing's spent $19 billion buying back its own stock - a spending spree that worries analysts. The Wall Street Journal.
- "Electric transportation generates the biggest buzz in $50M Smart City Challenge." GeekWire.
- Washington Post Editorial Board weighs in on last week's WMATA fiasco: "Metro's dangerous complicity."
- Report: Shoddy infrastructure will cost families $3,400 each year. POLITICO Pro.
- "Luxury Cruise to Conquer Northwest Passage." The Wall Street Journal.
- "The Surprising Beauty Of The World's Most Hellish Traffic Interchanges." FastCompany.
THE COUNTDOWN: DOT appropriations run out in 143 days. The FAA reauthorization expires in 65 days. The 2016 presidential election is in 180 days. Highway and transit policy is up for renewal in 1,605 days.
THE DAY AHEAD:
8 a.m. - The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority holds its Dulles Matters II Summit, on "the importance of Dulles International to the economy of the National Capital Region," with Virginia Transportation Secretary Aubrey Layne delivering the opening keynote address. Dulles International Airport.
8 a.m. - The National Defense Industrial Association holds its 2016 Tactical Wheeled Vehicles Conference. Hyatt Regency, 1800 President Street, Reston, Va.
12 p.m. - New America and Future Tense hold a discussion on "Why Does it Still Take Five Hours to Fly Cross-Country?" New America, 740 15th Street NW, Suite 900.
5 p.m. - The Coalition for America's Gateways & Trade Corridors holds its annual Good Movement reception, hosted by the Port of Los Angeles. 300 First Street SE.
Did we miss an event? Let MT know at transpocalendar@politicopro.com.
** A message from the Air Line Pilots Association, International: The Department of Transportation's (DOT) order proposing to approve Norwegian Air International's (NAI) request ignores both the terms of our the Open Skies agreement and the will of Congress. NAI's operation as a "flag-of-convenience" carrier in Ireland would allow the airline to skirt Norway's employment laws, give NAI an unfair economic edge, and put tens of thousands of U.S. aviation jobs at risk.
DOT's decision is at odds with the letter, spirit, and intent of the U.S.-EU Air Transport Agreement and is opposed by U.S. and EU labor unions, airlines and others. More than 200 members of Congress from both sides of the aisle have urged Secretary Foxx to enforce the U.S.-EU agreement and deny the NAI application.
The Obama Administration needs to stand up for fair competition and U.S. jobs and deny NAI a foreign carrier permit. Learn more: http://bit.ly/1Qsm7p6 **
Stories from POLITICO Pro
Thune: Shuster's FAA plan needs more time to bake Back
By Heather Caygle | 05/10/2016 03:21 PM EDT
Sen. John Thune said today he thinks the House GOP's ambitious FAA overhaul plan needs more time to be digested, suggesting lawmakers take up the bipartisan Senate bill in the meantime to avoid passing another extension.
"My sense is that it's an idea that's going to have to be discussed and explored some more and it's going to take a little bit of time," Thune said, referring to Rep. Bill Shuster's controversial plan to strip air traffic control from the FAA.
"In the meantime we've got a bill out there that we think works and so I hope they'll, if they come to that conclusion, take a look at our bill," he added.
Shuster told Thune a couple weeks ago that he needed a "few more weeks" to try to rally support for his plan before making a decision on the next steps.
"It's their call to make but I would hope that if they run the traps and it becomes clear that they don't have the support to do what they want to do on the ATC reform, that they would take a look at our bill," Thune said.
But Shuster seems no closer to his goal - Heritage Action again panned the idea, in a letter to lawmakers Monday - and Congress only has two more months to act.
"I don't want to do another short-term extension. I don't think that's the way to do this. We've got a bill out there, we think it addresses a lot of the issues," Thune said.
Heritage Action slams House FAA bill over labor issues Back
By Heather Caygle | 05/09/2016 05:28 PM EDT
Heritage Action is out with a new letter slamming Rep. Bill Shuster's FAA bill, urging lawmakers to can the proposal due to its "troubling" labor provisions.
"If enacted, this proposal would place immediate, severe limits on any opportunity for reform and reorganization of America's air traffic control system," the group wrote in a letter that was also signed by the Center for Independent Employees and others.
The groups said the bill's main tenet, which involves stripping air traffic control oversight from the FAA and handing it over to a multi-member board, would be a "prescription for runaway costs and less stable American skyways."
The letter ticks off a list of potential labor issues associated with the plan that the conservative groups say will give unions the upper hand, essentially erasing all the cost-saving and efficiency benefits touted by Shuster backers.
"Simply put, the protections employed by former President [Ronald] Reagan during the illegal air traffic controller strike in 1981 will no longer be available," Heritage Action wrote.
"We urge the House to scrap Shuster's dangerous union giveaway."
Heritage Action first signaled concerns with Shuster's bill in February, warning that the plan could "keep taxpayers on the hook for serious missteps."
Foxx threatens to shut down Metro if WMATA doesn't follow orders Back
By Jennifer Scholtes | 05/10/2016 02:10 PM EDT
Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx says he "seriously" considered ordering a shutdown of Metrorail last week and won't hesitate to do so if WMATA isn't swift enough in following his department's demands.
"I seriously thought about it last week ..." Foxx told reporters this afternoon. "If Metro drags its feet in aggressively following that directive ... we will be back where we were."
Foxx said Metro's safety culture is still deficient and that even WMATA's new track maintenance plan wouldn't have handled the kind of amperage issues DOT has ordered the rail service to fix. Besides trying to determine issues with Metro's hardware, the department is trying to size up the capability of the people using the hardware - some of whom, Foxx said, appear to be "resistant" to safety protocols.
"It's hard to help somebody who's keeping inspectors off the track for hours at a time," he said. "I will have no hesitation to shut down the system. ... All the tools that we have available to us are on the table - all of them. What we're trying to get out of WMATA is compliance with our inspection team and compliance on basic levels of safety as measured in large part against their own standards. Last Thursday did not inspire confidence."
Senate sets up Wednesday morning vote for Iran amendment Back
By Darius Dixon | 05/10/2016 06:44 PM EDT
Sen. Tom Cotton's Iran amendment to the fiscal 2017 energy and water spending bill will get a procedural vote at 10:30 a.m. tomorrow.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell filed a cloture motion to end debate on the amendment last night, setting the vote up for one hour after the chamber convenes Wednesday. And tonight, McConnell adjourned the Senate until 9:30 a.m.
If Cotton's amendment fails to get the 60 votes it needs - as Sen. Lamar Alexander expects - Cotton will have an opportunity to debate the measure on the floor and withdraw it.
Assuming that Cotton's amendment does fail, the Senate is expected to move the underlying $37.5 billion energy and water spending bill later in the day.
McConnell: THUD next in line on appropriations Back
By Lauren Gardner and Matthew Nussbaum | 05/10/2016 03:17 PM EDT
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell reaffirmed today his plan to move the DOT spending bill once the chamber completes work on a Energy-Water appropriations measure that has become unusually controversial.
"We're going to be wrapping up the Energy and Water appropriations bill either later today by consent or tomorrow, and then we'll move on to the Transportation bill, coupled with Military Construction, as we continue our efforts to complete the appropriations process," he told reporters.
Sen. Susan Collins , chairwoman of the DOT spending panel, first told POLITICO of the plan to combine those two bills before the Senate went on a one-week recess.
GOP and Democratic leaders have been wrestling with how to move past an effort by Sen. Tom Cotton to force a vote on an amendment tied to the Iran nuclear deal that Democrats say is a "poison pill" proposal that would infect the appropriations process. The protracted impasse has put into question how many more spending bills Republicans can get through the chamber before the process breaks down.
"I'm optimistic we're going to get a lot of appropriations bills done," McConnell said. "We're going to spend a lot of time on it between now and the time we break for the conventions."
Obama nominates Blair Anderson as DOT policy undersecretary Back
By Martine Powers | 05/10/2016 06:41 PM EDT
President Barack Obama has nominated Blair Anderson as the Department of Transportation's new undersecretary for policy.
Anderson is the current deputy administrator at NHTSA and former deputy assistant secretary for finance and budget at DOT. He's been with the department since 2013. Before that, Anderson served as senior adviser and legislative director for former Rep. John Olver when he was chairman and ranking member of the House Appropriations panel in charge of transportation.
Uber, Machinists reach deal in New York Back
By Brian Mahoney | 05/10/2016 12:25 PM EDT
Uber reached a deal with the Machinists union to create a drivers guild in New York that stops short of granting drivers union rights.
The Independent Drivers Guild is the first drivers' association formally endorsed by Uber, according to a report in The New York Times.
"We're happy to announce that we've successfully come to agreement with Uber to represent the 35,000 drivers using Uber in New York City to enhance their earning ability and benefits," James Conigliaro Jr., guild founder, told the Times.
The five-year deal allows members to hold monthly meetings with company management in New York City, the Times reported. Drivers can appeal company decisions to bar them from the platform and can have officials present at those proceedings. Members will also have access to discounted legal services, roadside assistance, and insurance, the Times reported.
The agreement won't allow the drivers traditional collective bargaining rights, and Uber will have sole discretion over rate-setting, according to the report.
Plouffe touts Uber-Machinists NYC deal Back
By Brian Mahoney | 05/10/2016 03:02 PM EDT
Uber's David Plouffe said his company's new partnership with the Machinists and the Freelancers Union was "a stake in the ground" to give app-based employees "portable" employee benefits.
Uber announced today that Machinists would represent 35,000 Uber drivers in New York on issues like driver suspensions and insurance benefits.
The Freelancers Union will advise Uber on ways to implement "portable benefits" for drivers nationwide. The scope and style of benefit will likely vary city by city, Plouffe said. "It's not a one-size-fits-all situation, either by company, by sector or even in our case by city," Plouffe told POLITICO.
Freelancers Union President Sara Horowitz said the push for a portable benefits system, first announced in November, "is in its infancy, but it's in its infancy by very mature players."
"Our members really have episodic income and really need to start figuring out how to build the next safety net," Horowitz said.
D.C. Circuit dismisses drone privacy rules challenge Back
By Margaret Harding McGill | 05/10/2016 11:12 AM EDT
A federal appeals court this morning dismissed a suit from the Electronic Privacy Information Center against the FAA for failing to address the privacy risks posed by commercial drone operators.
The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the suit for a few reasons. It said EPIC missed the 60-day deadline to file a petition for review of the FAA's decision in November 2014 to deny EPIC's request that the agency craft privacy provisions for drones.
In a suit filed in March 2015, EPIC argued that Congress mandated the FAA address privacy in 2012 as part of its drones rulemaking. But the FAA's proposed regulations, issued in February 2015, instead affirmed the agency's long-held belief that privacy is beyond its scope.
EPIC argued, in part, that the 2014 letter from the FAA denying its petition for rulemaking was misleading, and that the 60-day clock should have started when the FAA released the proposed rules last year.
The D.C. Circuit rejected that argument as well, saying a challenge to the proposed rules is premature because they have not yet been finalized.
Representatives of the FAA and EPIC did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.
Report: Shoddy infrastructure will cost families $3,400 each year Back
By Martine Powers | 05/10/2016 12:02 PM EDT
The average American household will lose out on $3,400 annually for the next 10 years, because of the poor state of America's infrastructure, according to a report released today by the American Society of Civil Engineers.
In the report, "Failure to Act: The Impact of Infrastructure Investment on America's Economic Future," ASCE argues that the deterioration of infrastructure results in higher costs for businesses and higher prices for household goods and services.
"For example, travel times will lengthen with inefficient roadways and congested airports and airspace, and out-of-pocket expenditures to households and business costs will rise if the electricity grid or water delivery systems fail to keep up with demand," the report's authors write.
ASCE estimates that underinvestment in roads, ports, waterways, rails, electricity grid and airports could lead the country's GDP to lose almost $4 trillion by 2025.
"While some of the infrastructure investment gap are showing modest signs of improvement, and the overall U.S. investment funding gap is still quite substantial, and the negative economic consequences of insufficient investment continue to be a significant drag on economic productivity," ASCE forecasts.