Passenger Transport Express

Forward to a Friend »

Inside

» NEWS HEADLINES

» SAVE THE DATE

» IN THE MEDIA

January 20, 2012

NEWS HEADLINES

LaHood Announces $40.8 Million Dedicated to Improving Access to Parks, Forests and Wildlife Refuge

DOT Secretary Ray LaHood announced $40.8 million for 58 projects across the United States that will modernize the aging transportation infrastructure in America’s parks. This will provide safe and convenient access for visitors to national parks, forests and wildlife refuges. The money is provided by FTA’s Paul S. Sarbanes Transit in Parks program.

These infrastructure upgrades will help move millions of visitors through the parks while simultaneously protecting national treasures by creating environmentally friendly bike and public transit programs. The more options for travel to these parks the bigger reduction in harmful emissions and pollutants can be made.

The FTA’s Paul S. Sarbanes Transit in Parks program was created by Congress to enhance the protection of national parks and federal lands. It is administered by the FTA in partnership with the Department of the Interior and U.S. Forest Service. Services provided by this program range from shuttle buses to bike trails.

Americans for Transportation Mobility Urges Congress to "Make Transportation Job #1"

The current extension of the surface transportation authorization bill is set to expire March 31, 2012. The US Chamber of Commerce’s Americans for Transportation Mobility Coalition has written a letter to Congress, signed by more than 600 entities to date, urging passage of a bill soon.

The letter will be delivered to Capitol Hill when the House and Senate both reconvene. It calls on Congress to “Make Transportation Job #1” and pass a public transit, safety, and highway bill as soon as possible. ATM’s goal is to collect the largest and broadest possible list of organizations to show Congress the broad-based support for bipartisan action on authorization.

APTA urges its members to sign the letter by clicking here. The deadline is COB Tuesday. Jan 24.

SAVE THE DATE

Join your fellow APTA members in Washington, DC as you get up-to-date on the latest Congressional action at the 2012 Legislative Conference March 11-13 at the JW Marriott. The preliminary schedule is available and early registration is open until Jan 27.

IN THE MEDIA

Americans are independent and adventurous types. A recent op-ed by former Atlanta Mayor Sam Massell takes a look at one of our "hidden freedoms" -- that of travel. When he spoke in support of creating MARTA while mayor, he said that transportation is not about the money spent on a project, but is instead about mobility.

A punk rock video by It's Casual directs its anger at Los Angeles' freeways and extols the benefits of other ways to travel, eventually shouting "The Red Line" repeatedly while in a subway train.

His nickname is "Fast." That's what a brand new father calls his son -- who was born on a PATH train on Monday.