Connecticut and Illinois are making big investments into hybrid public buses thanks to a new round of federal awards. Connecticut was awarded $275 million and Illinois was awarded $5 million for hybrid bus projects. The funding comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation which is working to help states make public transit systems become more [...]
California has released a new business plan for its high-speed rail project. The plan calls for creating a high-speed rail line between San Francisco and Los Angeles but will cost $98.5 billion – more than twice the previous estimate. The plan will also take several more years to complete than previously estimated, work isn’t expected [...]
Michigan is taking new steps to understand how transportation issues impact the state. Yesterday, the Michigan Municipal League held its first ever twitter event with local officials and researchers to examine the reality of transportation statewide and how to plan for the future. The event was held in advance of Governor Rick Snyder’s planned transportation [...]
According to a new Brookings study, there is a transit paradox in our country: 70% of citizens in large metropolitan centers can access public transportation but can only get to 30% of the jobs in their area. Based on first-of-its-kind research utilizing data from the nation’s 100 largest metro areas, Brookings has been able to [...]
Illinois will be examining the next phase of high-speed rail through a new study group that includes the University of Illinois, the Illinois Department of Transportation and private sector. The group is looking at the feasibility of 220-mph passenger rail service between Chicago, Urbana-Champaign and beyond. Currently, the state is building a 110-mph rail network [...]
Earlier this year, Florida rejected billions in federal grants for high speed rail projects a move which led Transportation Secretary Ray Lahood to reopen the application process for those funds. Yesterday, he announced that Florida’s money has been reallocated into several awards spread primarily throughout the Northeastern Corridor.
Under the terms of a sweeping legislative package signed into law yesterday, Virginia will spend nearly $4 billion on transportation infrastructure over the next three years. The money is expected to fund more than 900 projects statewide without raising taxes. Projects are will range from road and bridge improvements to increased rail and transit services. [...]
Connecticut is creating a new Busway designed to decrease congestion along I-84. The project was given a boost by the Federal Transit Administration (ATA) which awarded the state a $6.3 million grant. The grant will allow the state to acquire property and contract engineers. The Connecticut Department of Transportation proposed to construct the New Britain-Hartford [...]
Missouri will join the group of states lining up to get billions in newly available federal railroad funds. According to an announcement this afternoon from Missouri Governor Jay Nixon, the state will be applying for funds to improve rail lines between St. Louis and Kansas City and lay the groundwork for a dedicated high-speed rail [...]
Illinois will begin construction on a project that will connect Chicago to St. Louis through high-speed rail. The $685 million federally funded project is set to move forward now that the federal government and Union Pacific railroad have finalized the terms of their partnership agreement. The project is expected to create 6,200 direct and indirect [...]
