they gave to Obama to rebuild America's infrastructure back in 2009.
It has just turned into vapor along with every other of Obama's Hope N' Change promises.
Posted on 11/08/2015 8:56:29 AM PST by Lorianne
here were plenty of high-fives and backslaps on Thursday as the House overwhelmingly approved a multi-year, $325 billion transportation bill designed to address the nation’s woeful highway, bridge and infrastructure system.
Leaders from both parties hailed the 363 to 64 vote – capping three days of debate and consideration of 100 amendments -- as a major breakthrough essential to rebuilding the nation’s pothole riddled highways. As so often has been the case in Congress’s seemingly endless transportation melodrama, there is a lot less to the bill than meets the eye. Much of the promised new funding hinges on budget gimmicks that are already drawing sharp criticism from conservatives and good government groups.
I wonder how much of those billions will end up in union coffers before the first dollar is spent to buy the first bag of concrete for a project that will run out of money to fix a small stretch of road no one uses.
It has just turned into vapor along with every other of Obama's Hope N' Change promises.
May God Almighty strike me dead if I’m lying:
I hate these people.
Oh look! More lesser evil we just HAD to vote for no matter what. Thank GOD we didn’t listen to those evil purists that warned about this result. Let our grandkids deal with it.
Party on Wayne!
Here is the FY 2014-2018 U.S. Department of Transportation Strategic Plan
http://www.transportation.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/docs/2014-2018-strategic-plan_0.pdf
I took notes on the older version and it is right out of Agenda 21 with the public transportation, forcing people into high-density housing, and forcing people out of their urban homes. They want to get rid of cars and are building bike and walking paths.
U.S. Department of Transportation
Transportation for a New Generation
Strategic Plan Fiscal years 2012-2016
http://www.dot.gov/sites/dot.dev/files/docs/990_355_DOT_StrategicPlan_508lowres.pdf
Secretary Ray LaHood
This Strategic Plan responds to these challenges and opportunities. It presents five strategic goals for America’s transportation system:
Safety;
State of Good Repair;
Economic Competitiveness;
Livable Communities;
Environmental Sustainability.
Page 7
Fostering livable communities—places where coordinated transportation, housing, and commercial development gives people access to affordable and environmentally sustainable transportation—is a transformational policy shift for DOT.
Page 12
In 2010, over 4,200 pedestrians were killed and 70,000 pedestrians were injured in traffic crashes. On average, a pedestrian was killed every two hours and injured in traffic crashes every nine minutes. In addition, in 2010, 618 bicyclists were killed and an additional 51,000 were injured in motor vehicle traffic crashes. Bicyclist deaths accounted for two percent of all motor vehicle traffic fatalities, and two percent of the people injured in traffic crashes during the year.
Page 14
There were no airline fatalities in 2010.
There were 17 air taxi fatalities.
There were two cargo air fatalities, in Dubai.
Page 15
There were 11,317 rail related accidents in 2010
There were 2,013 highway-rail crossing incidents
Page 16
Of major concern are the approximately 216,000 public and private at-grade railroad-highway crossings where about 250 fatalities occur each year.
There were 366 mass transit fatalities in 2010.
Page 17
There were an average of 13 Hazmat fatalities per year from 2001 to 2010, 75 percent involved trucks.
Two-thirds of our nation’s energy supply is delivered by pipeline.
In 2010 and 2011 for example, a number of high consequence pipeline incidents traumatized communities in Allentown, Pennsylvania; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; San Bruno, California; and Marshall, Michigan. Most fatal incidents occurred on gas distribution systems.
Page 21
Demographics affecting road safety:
Old age
Obesity
Non-English speaking
Page 26
More than one-quarter of the Nation’s bus and rail assets are in marginal or poor condition.
Page 27
Amtrak is faced with an approximately $5 billion backlog of state of good repair projects that must be addressed to ensure the safety and reliability of these services.
Page 31
Over the next 40 years the U.S. population is expected to rise by 43 percent (from 307 million to 439 million).
Page 31
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) provided an unprecedented $8 billion investment in high-speed and intercity passenger rail. This initial funding, and $2.1 billion in additional, FY 2010 appropriations, has generated an extraordinary amount of interest across the country. In just 20 months, FRA received nearly 500 applications from 39 States, the District of Columbia, and Amtrak, requesting more than $75 billion—far exceeding the amount available. The resulting investments are expected to move us closer to achieving the President’s goal of providing 80 percent of Americans with convenient access to high-speed rail within 25 years.
Page 32
Over 30 rail manufacturers, both domestic and foreign, have agreed to establish or expand their U.S. bases of operations if they are hired to build America’s next generation high-speed rail lines and equipment—a commitment the Administration secured to ensure that new jobs are created here at home. In addition, Amtrak and the States are using nearly $1.7 billion in Recovery Act, other appropriations and loans to purchase over 100 American-made locomotives and 250 railcars.
Core Express Corridors that will form the backbone of the national high-speed passenger rail system, operating in and between large, dense metropolitan regions. These corridors will connect large urban areas up to 600 miles apart, within a 2–3 hour travel time at speeds between 125 and 250+ miles per hour (mph). Service will be frequent and will operate on electrified, dedicated track that is publicly-owned;
Regional Corridors that will connect mid-sized urban areas with convenient, frequent, 90–125 mph service on a mix of dedicated and shared track. These corridors will connect directly to the core express network, with many passenger services operating over both core express and regional networks; and
Emerging Corridors that will connect regional urban areas at speeds up to 90 mph on shared track. These corridors will connect to the core express or regional corridors allowing residents of more distant areas efficient access to the national system. As these communities grow and the passenger rail market matures, these services could be converted to regional or core express services.
Page 35
Car and truck congestion imposes a small 0.6 percent of cost to our overall economy.
Page 40
STRATEGIES TO EXPAND OPPORTUNITIES FOR BUSINESSES IN THE TRANSPORTATION SECTOR, ESPECIALLY SMALL, WOMEN-OWNED, AND DISADVANTAGED BUSINESSES
Implement a rulemaking that will help economically and socially disadvantaged businesses take advantage of opportunities to participate in federally-funded highway, transit and airport projects and hold States and local agencies more accountable for including disadvantaged businesses in their transportation plans.
Work with airport sponsors to conduct meaningful outreach to include small, women-owned, and disadvantaged businesses in contracts and concession opportunities; and
Conduct outreach and educational programs such as the bond readiness workshop and outreach to the disadvantaged business community to ensure that small businesses have access to Federal contracting dollars.
Page 45
U.S. transportation investments over the last 50 years have often been poorly coordinated with other investments such as housing and commercial development. This has contributed to the prevalence of low-density, scattered, auto-dependent and inaccessible communities, and disinvestment in many of our core urban centers and first suburbs. These development patterns have been amplified by single-use zoning that separated housing from shopping, work, and schools. Such zoning emphasizes wide streets, ample off-street parking, and large front and side yard setbacks. Federal programs for road construction promoted wide, high-speed roadways ill-suited to pedestrian and bicycle use even in quiet residential communities.
Page 47
The traditional nuclear family that made up 40 percent of households in 1970 now comprises less than 24 percent of households. This is an important demographic trend that could have a profound effect on the demand for transit because the demographic groups growing most quickly—older, non-family, non-white households—have historically used transit in higher numbers.
Page 48
However, due to zoning codes and disjointed transportation, housing, and economic development policies, meeting market demand for vibrant, walkable neighborhoods is often difficult or impossible.
Building livable communities involves a holistic approach and DOT is therefore collaborating across lines of authority to leverage related Federal investments. DOT, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have formed the Partnership for Sustainable Communities to promote sustainable development and more livable communities. The Partnership is working to address barriers to coordinating transportation, housing, and environmental programs and investments.
Using U.S. Census Bureau data, many studies estimate that compact, mixed-use development can reduce infrastructure costs by 11 percent or more.
Page 49
Create a database which catalogues land near transit stations that is eligible for development to encourage local governments and Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) to locate new developments in areas near transit.
…walking and bicycling account for almost 12 percent of trips and about 13 percent of roadway fatalities.
Page 52
The major external factors that could play a part in our ability to achieve our Livable Communities goal include sustainable funding, legislative obstacles, durability of the built environment, roadway design standards and resistance to change.
DOT will seek authority for new approaches to improve community livability as part of a long-term reauthorization through strategies including: providing funding to regions and communities to carry out livability goals in partnership with States and other public agencies; strengthening the consideration of land use, energy, the environment, and other livability elements in transportation planning; and establishing criteria for performance-based planning and incentives to focus on outcomes.
Page 53
Community and institutional resistance to change— such as the change in transportation norms that will be needed to build livable communities—can be strong and pervasive. Obstacles to change include skepticism about the benefits of change, lack of knowledge about how the change would affect individuals or the community, lack of community pressure to change, and lack of sustained leadership in the direction of change. Often the costs of change are immediate while the benefits are long-range, and this cost-benefit disparity reduces the political appeal of change.
Page 55
Since 1970, transportation sector emissions of carbon monoxide have been reduced by 67 percent, emissions of volatile organic compounds have been reduced by 68 percent, and emissions of nitrogen dioxide have been reduced by 38 percent. These reductions have been achieved notwithstanding a 50 percent increase in the U.S. population, a tripling of GDP, and a 150 percent increase in passenger-miles traveled. Transportation sector emission reductions have been achieved largely by progressively strengthening regulation of vehicle and aircraft emissions under the Clean Air Act.
Interesting, thanks for posting this.
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