Archive for the ‘National’ Category

View the newest posts »

Outcomes of the Nonmotorized Transportation Pilot Program

Tuesday, May 1st, 2012

FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION
Section 1807 of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) P.L. 109-59 established the Nonmotorized Transportation Pilot Program (NTPP) in August 2005.1 Over the span of 4 years, the NTPP provided roughly $25 million annually in contract authority allocated equally among four pilot communities (Columbia, Missouri; Marin County, California; Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Sheboygan County, Wisconsin) “to construct … a network of nonmotorized transportation infrastructure facilities, including sidewalks, bicycle lanes, and pedestrian and bicycle trails, that connect directly with transit stations, schools, residences, businesses, recreation areas, and other community activity centers.

View this complete post...

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in Biking, Buses, Congestion, Funding, Infra, Infra Views, Local, National, Public Transportation, Transit, Urban Planning

Add your comment about this post »

State Of The Air 2012

Thursday, April 26th, 2012

AMERICAN LUNG ASSOCIATION
Thanks to the Clean Air Act, we’ve made great progress in cleaning up air pollution from across the U.S. The State of the Air 2012 shows that the air quality in many places has improved, but that over 127 million people—41 percent of the nation—still suffer pollution levels that are too often dangerous to breathe.

View this complete post...

Tags: ,
Posted in Clean Air, Climate Change, Green, Infra Views, National, Policy, Pollution, Sustainability

Add your comment about this post »

Guest on The Infra Blog: James Corless, Director, Transportation for America

Thursday, April 26th, 2012

James Corless is the Director of Transportation for America, a coalition of over 400 organizations working to promote a new national transportation policy that’s smarter, safer, cleaner and provides more choice. Prior to Transportation for America, Mr. Corless was a senior planner for the Metropolitan Transportation Commission in the San Francisco Bay Area where he [...]

View this complete post...

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Aging Infrastructure, Bipartisan, Economic Stimulus, Guests on The Infra Blog, High Speed Rail, National, Policy, Public Opinion, Public Transportation, The Infra Blog, Transit

Add your comment about this post »

Are We There Yet? Selling America on Transportation

Wednesday, April 25th, 2012

MILLER CENTER
The 2011 David R. Goode National Transportation Policy Conference caught the U.S. transportation policy debate at a crossroads in its decades–long history. Lack of progress on a transformational policy agenda combined with a sense of urgency about the need to maintain and improve the nation’s transportation infrastructure had both frustrated and energized conference participants. They agreed that another plan or more supportive rhetoric was not necessary. What is needed is tangible action. This report reflects that focus.

View this complete post...

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Accountability, Aging Infrastructure, Highway, Infra Views, National, Roads, Transit

Add your comment about this post »

Should Transit Serve the CBD or a Diverse Array of Destinations? A Case Study Comparison of Two Transit Systems

Tuesday, April 24th, 2012

FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY: CENTER FOR URBAN TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH

Introduction

This case study seeks to understand the relative efficacy of two classes of policies intended to increase the ridership and productivity of public transit service. One class of policies seeks to improve transit effectiveness by freezing transit service in the older parts of metropolitan areas. It is thought that higher densities of population and employment and the presence of pedestrian amenities in older areas induce higher levels of transit demand.

View this complete post...

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Buses, Infra Views, Local, National, Policy, Public Transportation

Add your comment about this post »

Getting to Know the Finer Details of the Senate Highway Bill

Monday, April 23rd, 2012

Innovation NewsBriefs
Vol. 23, No. 15
As Rep. DeFazio observed, getting to know the finer details of the Senate highway bill (MAP-21, S. 1813) has taken on new significance now that a House-Senate conference negotiation on the reauthorization measure has become a reality. Understanding the Senate bill is important because the Senate measure is likely to become the basis of any final bill.

View this complete post...

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in Aging Infrastructure, Bipartisan, Democrat, Economic Stimulus, Funding, Guest Post, Innovation Newsbriefs, National, Policy, Republican, The Infra Blog

Add your comment about this post »

Wasting Our Waterways 2012: Toxic Industrial Pollution and the Unfulfilled Promise of the Clean Water Act

Thursday, April 19th, 2012

ENVIRONMENT MINNESOTA
Industrial facilities continue to dump millions of pounds of toxic chemicals into America’s rivers, streams, lakes and ocean waters each year—threatening both the environment and human health. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), pollution from industrial facilities is responsible for threatening or fouling water quality in more than 14,000 miles of rivers and streams, more than 220,000 acres of lakes, ponds and estuaries nationwide.

View this complete post...

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Drinking Water, Hazardous Waste, Infra Views, Inland Waterways, National, Pollution, Wastewater, Water Treatment

Add your comment about this post »

May 22-24, San Francisco, CA: High Speed Rail Conference

Thursday, April 19th, 2012

From US High Speed Rail Association: Business and political leaders will come together with the world’s top experts to bring high speed rail to America, starting in California.  Construction is about to get underway on the first phase of the proposed state-wide, 800-mile state-of-the-art transportation project that will revolutionize mobility in the state. This new rail [...]

View this complete post...

Tags: , , ,
Posted in High Speed Rail, Local, National, Policy, The Infra Blog

Add your comment about this post »

Talking Infrastructure with the New Faces of Engineering College Edition Winners

Wednesday, April 18th, 2012

Steven CF Anderson, Managing Director of InfrastructureUSA, recently spoke with several winners of ASHRAE, NCEES, and the National Engineers Week Foundation’s New Faces of Engineering College Recognition Program.

View this complete post...

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Accountability, Aging Infrastructure, Bridges, Green, Guests on The Infra Blog, Local, National, Roads, Smart Growth, Sustainability, The Infra Blog

Add your comment about this post »

The Fantasy Solution of an Infrastructure Bank

Tuesday, April 17th, 2012

Transortation Issues Daily
When a new Congress or member proposes an infrastructure bank (learn more from Wikipedia), like clockwork I will hear from a couple of State DOT CFOs who say in frustration: “But that’s financing, not funding.” It’s great to have more financing tools and great to accelerate projects, my friends say, but financing rarely adds the additional new funding that is needed to address our long range needs and growing infrastructure deficit. The funding and projects deficit grows due to rising vehicle fuel efficiency, increased construction costs, inflation, and more roads reaching old age and needing preservation and maintenance.

View this complete post...

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Accountability, Aging Infrastructure, Bipartisan, Economic Stimulus, Guest Post, Local, National, Public Transportation, Roads, Sustainability, The Infra Blog, Transit

Add your comment about this post »

« More posts
View the newest posts »

Receive Infra Update, our email newsletter.

Follow InfraUSA on Twitter Facebook YouTube Digg Flickr
Show us your infra! Show us your infra!

Video, stills and tales. Share images of the Infra in your community that demands attention. Post your ideas about national Infra issues. Go ahead. Show Us Your Infra!  Upload and instantly share your message.

Polls Polls

Is the administration moving fast enough on Infra issues? Are Americans prepared to pay more taxes for repairs? Should job creation be the guiding determination? Vote now!

Views

What do the experts think? This is where the nation's public policy organizations, trade associations and think tanks weigh in with analysis on Infra issues. Tell them what you think.  Ask questions.  Share a different view.

Blog

The Infra Blog offers cutting edge perspective on a broad spectrum of Infra topics. Frequent updates and provocative posts highlight hot button topics -- essential ingredients of a national Infra dialogue.