Passenger Transport Express - 10/30/2009 (Plain Text Version)News HeadlinesCongress Renews Extension of Transportation Programs Through Dec. 18
Both houses of Congress on October 29 passed a bill that will extend surface transportation programs and appropriations through December 18. The 2010 Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act includes the extension of SAFETEA-LU as part of a further continuing resolution providing appropriations for all departments of the federal government. The bill (H.R. 2996), will next go to the president for his signature. Previous negotiations regarding a proposed six-month extension of SAFETEA-LU were unsuccessful. LaHood, Millar Testify Before Senate on Climate Change Legislation
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and APTA President William Millar testified this week before the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, chaired by Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), to express support for climate change legislation under consideration, the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act (S. 1733), and to emphasize the critical role sustainable transportation plays in the nation's climate change efforts. DOT Announces New Transportation Safety Council
The Department of Transportation has introduced a new Department of Transportation Safety Council, chaired by Deputy Transportation Secretary John Porcari. The council will address safety issues for all 10 agencies of the DOT: the Federal Aviation Administration, the Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the Federal Railroad Administration, the Federal Transit Administration, the Maritime Administration, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, the Research and Innovative Technology Administration and the St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation. [return to top] Save the Date
With the federal government's major investment in high-speed rail, APTA is partnering with the International Union of Railways to present the International Practicum on Implementing High-Speed Rail in the United States. Each regional practicum will focus on best practices and lessons learned from European and Asian systems, through the lens of America’s unique railroad operating environment. In the Media
Transportation Secretary LaHood's blog and The New York Times discussed how public transportation is reducing emissions through the purchase of hybrid buses. Bus Rapid Transit could be more viable with greater lane enforcement, according to The New York Times. |