President Obama released his proposed $3.6 trillion federal budget “framework” for Fiscal Years 2010 and beyond on Feb. 26. The specifics of the budget (including all account-level data) are expected to be released in April. [More]

In President Barack Obama’s first address to a Joint Session of Congress (the equivalent of a State of the Union Speech in a non-election year) on Feb. 24, he cited public transportation among his administration’s top priorities.

As he began his discussion of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and how it will save or create 3.5 million jobs over the next two years, he said: "More than 90 percent of these jobs will be in the private sector--jobs rebuilding our roads and bridges; constructing wind turbines and solar panels; laying broadband and expanding mass transit." [More]

All levels of government—federal, state, regional, and local—must increase their financial investment in transportation to overcome the current shortfall, and the federal government must take a strong role in the process. [More]

The long-awaited Fiscal Year 2009 federal budget omnibus bill passed Feb. 25 by the U.S. House of Representatives includes $10.23 billion in new budget authority for public transportation--$740 million more than the FY 2008 budget and an all-time high for transit. [More]

Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), a member of the House Ways and Means and Budget committees, convened a discussion with industry leaders on ways to reform infrastructure financing so solvency can be restored to the Highway Trust Fund. Reforms advocated at the Feb. 27 event, held at the National Press Club in Washington, include an increase in the gas tax and an eventual shift to a fee based on Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) instead of per gallon of fuel—a system pioneered in Oregon. [More]

With the passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), the Federal Transit Administration has now posted preliminary information about apportionments (distribution of transportation stimulus funds through formula programs) on its web site. [More]

The history of Norfolk, VA, dates back more than 300 years, and surprising amounts of it are hiding just underfoot. That’s what work crews for Hampton Roads Transit are discovering as they excavate downtown sites in preparation for construction of The Tide light rail line. [More]

The International Association of Public Transport’s (UITP) 58th World Congress and concurrent Mobility & City Transport Exhibition will take place June 7-11 in Vienna, Austria.  The Federal Transit Administration, working in conjunction with APTA and the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service in Vienna, is providing assistance to participating U.S. companies. [More]

In the challenging economic climate of today, companies need to explore new options to expand sales and reduce risks. Whether you sell products, services, or technologies, domestic demand in 2009 may not be sufficient to meet your revenue targets, which is why international sales may provide additional opportunities for revenue growth by increasing your sales volume or offering the chance to sell the same product at higher margins because of higher demand. [More]

On March 5, the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials will sponsor a summit examining the impact of the $900 billion economic stimulus legislation recently signed by President Obama. The law firm Patton Boggs LLP will host the event at its offices, 2550 M St. N.W., Washington, DC. [More]

Three former federal transportation and transit industry officials have formed Spartan Solutions Inc. to provide comprehensive strategic advisory services to private industry, state transportation departments, and transit operators.
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When the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Arizona Cardinals met at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL, for Super Bowl XLIII, Hillsborough Area Regional Transit was standing by to provide a record number of rides. Most of these were on the TECO Line Streetcar System, which provided more than 45,000 rides during Super Bowl weekend, compared with 2,500 on a regular Saturday or 1,200 on an average weekday. [More]

In my last column, I shared points that David Armijo, chief executive officer of the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (HART) in Tampa, FL, made over the course of our recent half-day meeting, touching on strategic issues facing HART and critical CEO attributes and skills. This column continues the dialogue.
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“The essential ingredient of politics is timing,” declared former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau. This is certainly the case for APTA’s 34th Annual Legislative Conference, to be held at the J.W. Marriott Hotel in Washington. [More]

Recent worldwide terrorist attacks on transportation systems have created a climate of heightened risk and security awareness. The inherently open and easily accessible nature of transit systems, coupled with this heightened state of alert, has in turn greatly increased the importance of security throughout the transit industry. The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) have recognized and responded to this increased importance by placing their own emphasis on transit security. [More]

APTA reminds fare collection professionals that they still have time to register for the 2009 Fare Collection Workshop, March 16-18 in Houston. This workshop provides everything from basic training to setting fare policy to industry-wide best practices for small and large transit systems alike. [More]

Someone once said, “Success is simple: Do what’s right, the right way, at the right time.” With our nation facing the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, a “perfect storm” emerged for a successful effort to champion public transportation as a part of the nation’s plan to regain long-term growth and prosperity. [More]

The legislative process is the backbone of federal funding for public transportation, but—like a human spine—it’s part of a complicated organism that can’t be understood without help.  What follows is a “guided tour” that explains how bills are enacted—in this case, public transit-related bills—and why the process seems at times to take so long. [More]

How can APTA’s citizen lobbyists make the most of their time in Washington during the Legislative Conference? Here are just a few suggestions from people who have significant experience “in the trenches.” [More]

With the arrival of a new Congress and a new Administration, energy independence and climate change are at the forefront of the nation’s agenda. New legislation and regulatory actions are likely to come soon—developments that will have a major impact on public transportation. [More]

Sometimes change happens in a logical manner. Sometimes it needs a push. In this case, it took two major precipitating accidents to effect a significant change in hours of service for rail transit operators. [More]

Robert P. Rizzo Jr., 60, manager, paratransit contract operations, for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority in Boston, died suddenly Feb. 17 at his home in Marshfield, MA. [More]

Elonzo (Lonnie) Hill, 71, a longtime employee of the Chicago Transit Authority who joined the board of the Metra commuter rail system following his retirement, died Feb. 18 after battling colon cancer. [More]