19 replies to this topic

[ChiefJoJo]

Yeah, it was released before the election, but still, good stuff:

I will also re-commit federal resources to public mass transportation projects across the country. I’ve worked to improve transportation access to jobs for people with lower incomes since my time in the Illinois State Senate, and I will continue this work as President. And I will further promote transit by creating incentives for transit usage that are equal to the current incentives for driving.

As you know, all of these measures will have significant environmental and metropolitan planning advantages and help diversify our nation’s transportation infrastructure. Everyone benefits if we can leave our cars, walk, bicycle and access other transportation alternatives. I agree that we can stop wasteful spending and save Americans money, and as president, I will re- evaluate the transportation funding process to ensure that smart growth considerations are taken into account.

I will build upon my efforts in the Senate to ensure that more Metropolitan Planning Organizations create policies to incentivize greater bicycle and pedestrian usage of roads and sidewalks. And as president, I will work to provide states and local governments with the resources they need to address sprawl and create more livable communities.

[The Escapists]

I couldn't have said it any better.
I usually feel detached from our national leadership - like they have no idea what is important to me.
But now, I have never felt more represented.

[krazeeboi]

It's good to get a big-city urbanist in office for once. And it's not just his focus on transportation that I like, but on infrastructure in general.

[Twoaday]

And don't forget that Joe Biden (now known as Joe the VP-Elect) rode the Amtrak to Washington most days!   It will be interesting to see how it all plays out but it sure appears we have a new administration coming in that will be a positive for cities.

[cloudship]

And yet in Obama's just announced economic recovery plan, there is barely a mention of transportation outside of fixing bridges.

Edited by cloudship, 22 November 2008 - 11:32 AM.

[skybolt900]

Imagine the job growth in mass transit? Imagine displaced auto workers now employed in the mass transit system? Just a thought.

[krazeeboi]

cloudship, on Nov 22 2008, 12:31 PM, said:

And yet in Obama's just announced economic recovery plan, there is barely a mention of transportation outside of fixing bridges.

If I remember correctly, there's supposed to be at least one other stimulus package to follow this initial one. The one that's out now is focused mostly on roads and bridges.

[Southron]

^ I hope you're right because the plan is now looking like a blank check to state DOT's for highway projects (widening, new interchanges, not just repaving and repairing bridges).  Mayors around the country are pushing for a share of the funds for local projects, which should be more transit-oriented, and hopefully they'll be successful in fighting the highway lobby.

[cloudship]

Unfortunately you are right in that this is mostly to state highway projects; I do think this is an indication of a big problem not with transportation funding, but that in many states the DOT is primarily driven by road projects. That is a problem at the state level - in that the state DOTs really need to be responsive to ALL transportation and not just an embellished highway department.

[teshadoh]

Because the stimulus package requires completely ready fully-designed transportation projects that are ready to go on day one.  These overwhelmingly are bridges & highway improvements - which are badly needed due to the nation's highway infrastructure being largely ignored by the federal government in the past decade.

You'll have to wait later for transit projects, but I think it will come.

- Correction, there are public transportation projects likely to be included in the infrastructure bill.  But they will largely be for existing infrastructure improvements.

Edited by teshadoh, 05 January 2009 - 11:18 AM.

[Southron]

Congressman James Oberstar, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, introduced an $85 billion proposal for infrastructure investment that includes far more than just money for highways.

From a news release:

Quote

Oberstar’s measure would provide $30 billion for roads and bridges, with an emphasis on repair and maintenance. It would allocate a substantial $12 billion to public transportation and $5 billion to intercity rail. The remainder of the money would go to other infrastructure, including aviation, water, and energy retrofits of federal buildings.

This is going to be a huge battle in Congress, but Oberstar is powerful enough to make a major impact on the end result.  Unfortunately, Obama's nominee for transportation secretary is a major question mark.

Oberstar proposal moves recovery debate in the right direction

Some info on what states are requesting:  How will your state spend its transportation stimulus?

[aboutmetro]

Obama just unveiled his plan for American rapid transit.  WSJ article.

Map image:

Edited by aboutmetro, 16 April 2009 - 11:44 AM.

[Neo]

I really hope this can be built out as planned.  Obviously it will take several terms from various presidents, but I'm optimistic that the groundwork that Obama is doing now will translate into this actually coming to fruition in the coming years.

[ronsmytheiii]

Watching the daily show I realized that Obama might have unexpectedly shifted social consensus to mass transit. Under cash for clunkers, many vehicles were taken off the road and rendered inoperable. The future consequence is a small pool of used cars driving up costs, inother words making buying a car (or having daddy buy it) for teenagers much more difficult. This should lift up the usage of mass transit, which should have a social effect in the future.

[Neo]

I can only hope that that is Obama's agenda. If something drastic doesn't change with the current administration, I'm not sure America will have another chance to turn things around anytime soon.

[tombarnes]

It will take new thinking. If I'm to judge by recent conversations at my club, transportation ideas are firmly entrenched and must be drastically altered. I'm thought of as something of a nutcase there when I mention that we might think of alternatives to the internal combustion engine. Obama has said the right things, but what are the facts regarding Amtrak and its future funding? We need a viable plan for rapid rail and the willlingness to make it more than just a plan.

[mallguy]

tombarnes, on 12 November 2009 - 08:54 AM, said:

has said the right things, but what are the facts regarding Amtrak and its future funding? We need a viable plan for rapid rail and the willlingness to make it more than just a plan.

The NARP website (narprail.org) has detailed information about Amtrak funding for next year- going DOWN, despite the talk of "hope and change" from Obama.

[dpbaker]

mallguy, on 12 November 2009 - 09:53 PM, said:

despite the talk of "hope and change" from Obama.

Forever the pessimist, I have yet to see the change, and don't have a lot of that hope.   Lots of promises were made that he likely will not be able to fulfill, but isn't that typical of most politicians? We'll see if and what he can deliver, not holding my breath, but I DO want to see him be a successful President. A new direction for transit in this country should be one of his priorities, but I suspect it is at the bottom of the list with all of the other goings-on.

[RiverwoodCLT]

The US is so far behind Europe and Asia on LRT and High Speed rails between cities.    The mind set is going to have to change before Obama transportation plan will work.  There  are states giving money back from rail projects because they do not want it.

[Neo]

RiverwoodCLT, on 15 September 2011 - 04:16 PM, said:

The US is so far behind Europe and Asia on LRT and High Speed rails between cities. The mind set is going to have to change before Obama transportation plan will work.  There  are states giving money back from rail projects because they do not want it.

Unfortunately I think most people view the train system in America in the same manner as the bus system...maybe just slightly better. I'm not sure if that's going to change anytime soon unless the federal government takes on the project and pumps enough money into the infrastructure to make it equal to or greater than the state of the art systems in Europe and Asia.