The St. Cloud, MN, bus manufacturing plant of New Flyer of America Inc. was the setting March 19 when U.S. Vice President Joe Biden led a town hall meeting focusing on middle-class economic issues. Joining him at the New Flyer event were four members of the President’s cabinet: U.S. Secretaries of Transportation Ray LaHood, Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan, Agriculture Tom Vilsack, and Education Arne Duncan, as well as Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN). [More]

Members of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee questioned U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood on the future of public transit investment and the upcoming authorization bill, and the role of the Highway Trust Fund, during a March 25 hearing of the committee.

The chair of the committee, Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA), said she convened the hearing as part of the development process for the next federal transportation authorization bill; the current law, SAFETEA-LU, expires on Sept. 30. She referred to the upcoming bill as “Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century,” or MAP 21. [More]

As APTA members receive American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding, Passenger Transport will highlight some of these projects through a series of reports. This story is the first of many that will present such information as job creation and enhanced public services in communities across the country. [More]

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) continues to update its web site, providing information and guidance related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) as it becomes available.  In addition to the full text of the notice on ARRA that appeared March 5 in the Federal Register, there is now a list of major milestones and deadlines for ARRA formula grants and a Power Point presentation on the new legislation. [More]

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, and California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger—the founders of Building America’s Future, a coalition focused on the need to support the nation’s infrastructure—appeared on NBC’s Meet the Press March 22 to discuss the economy, bailouts, and stimulus funding. At times, not surprisingly, the discussion centered on transportation. [More]

President Barack Obama has named Robert S. Rivkin, a former general counsel of the Chicago Transit Authority, as general counsel to U.S. DOT. [More]

A megaregion is defined as large networks of metropolitan centers and their surrounding areas tied together by economic, environmental, and infrastructure relationships. The Piedmont Atlantic Megaregion (PAM)—one of the fastest-growing megaregions in the country—comprises the entirety or parts of six states in the southeastern United States, running from Birmingham, AL, through Atlanta, GA, to Raleigh-Durham, NC. [More]

As part of the year-long celebration of its 175th anniversary, MTA Long Island Rail Road recently hosted a Customer Appreciation Day at Penn Station in Manhattan. LIRR is holding monthly events, offering commuters a chance to win tickets to such activities as Broadway shows and hockey games. [More]

Energy—efficiency, conservation, examination—is at the forefront of the world’s most critical issues. From April 27-29, the Alliance to Save Energy—a Washington, DC-based nonprofit that promotes energy efficiency worldwide to achieve a healthier economy, a cleaner environment, and greater energy security—will hold the 2009 Energy Efficiency Global Forum and Exposition (EE Global) in Paris, France. This is the only international conference and expo currently scheduled that will focus exclusively on energy efficiency, featuring speakers from six continents. [More]

Climate change. The need for green jobs. Carbon footprint.

Environmental challenges threaten the planet and contribute to the nation’s economic and security problems. We in our industry know that public transit is part of the solution. And at APTA, our members and staff are busy reminding the general public, environmental leaders, and our elected representatives that public transportation is the responsible environmental choice. [More]

In his State of the Union address and his federal budget, President Obama championed incentives for cleaner vehicles, expanded public transit, and more American jobs. A couple of weeks ago, I saw one of the places where all three of these economic boosters converge: a hybrid bus company called ISE based in San Diego. [More]

APTA has received approval from the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP), the professional institute of the American Planning Association, to award Certification Management (CM) credits tailored to the needs of new and experiences planning officials at the 2009 APTA Bus & Paratransit Conference and International Bus Roadeo, May 1-6 in Seattle. [More]

The Center for Transportation Excellence (CFTE) invites transit agencies, local officials, transportation supporters, advocates, and ballot measure campaign professionals to gather in Salt Lake City May 31-June 2 to participate in its biannual Transit Initiatives and Communities Conference. [More]

The American Public Transportation Foundation (APTF) is seeking applications by June 5 for the 2009 Scholarship Program. APTF will award a minimum of 10 scholarships at the 2009 APTA Annual Meeting in Orlando, FL. [More]

Claude S. Brinegar, U.S. secretary of transportation under Presidents Richard M. Nixon and Gerald R. Ford, died March 13 at the age of 82. [More]