NATIONAL NEWS

DC Streetsblog: Little-Known Provision in Senate Jobs Bill Could Spark House Resistance
http://dc.streetsblog.org/2010/02/24/little-known-provision-in-senate-jobs-bill-could-spark-house-resistance/
...The Senate language in question would extend two grant programs created by the 2005 federal transport law, often referred to by its acronym of SAFETEA-LU.  Those programs were the Projects of Regional and National Significance (PRNS), which allowed lawmakers to steer funds to multi-year proposals that often had a transit or freight component, and the National Corridor Infrastructure Improvement Program (NCIIP), which focused largely on earmarks for massive road projects (including Alaska's infamous Bridge to Nowhere).  Extending the PRNS and NCIIP grants through the end of 2010 would result in an estimated $932 million of new funding. The House-passed jobs bill would free up that money for a merit-based process, with all 50 states eligible to submit their transport plans, but the Senate-passed jobs bill would keep that money flowing to its 2009 beneficiaries, according to Oberstar's office.  What does that mean in practice? Of the $932 million, 58 percent would automatically go to four states: California, Washington, Louisiana, and Illinois. Nine other states would get between $20 million and $50 million in 2010, and 22 states would "not receiv[e] a penny," as 23 members of Oberstar's committee wrote yesterday in a letter to House Democratic leaders.

DC Streetsblog: Conrad Sees ‘Tough Choices’ Ahead on Transport, Naming VMT Tax & Tolls
http://dc.streetsblog.org/2010/02/24/senate-budget/
Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (D-ND) today shed rare light on the extent of the nation's transportation funding crisis, warning his fellow policymakers that "we are going to have to make tough choices" to raise enough money for continued federal investments in the built environment.

NAM Press Release: Manufacturers Disappointed with Senate Jobs Bill; Bill Doesn’t Go Far Enough to Create Jobs
http://www.nam.org/Communications/Articles/2010/02/Manufacturers-Disappointed-with-Senate-Jobs-Bill.aspx
...However, we are deeply disappointed that the Majority Leader’s bill does not include key incentives that we believe will help spur growth and economic activity such as the retroactive extensions of a strengthened R&D tax credit as well as other expired provisions.  This credit has expired 14 times since 1981 when it was enacted.  We encourage Congress to make the R&D better and permanent as it gives companies a reason to invest in America – 70 percent of the credit goes directly to U.S. wages.

The Hill: Build smarter, not bigger
http://thehill.com/opinion/op-ed/83441-build-smarter-not-bigger
Policymakers, transportation industry executives and metro planners are gathering in Washington this week to discuss a smarter transportation system for the 21st century. The timing turns out to be quite apt – just over a year ago the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was signed into law. This one-year anniversary offers an ideal chance to pull over and consult the map: how far have we gotten with infrastructure improvements and, more importantly, are we there yet?



Press Release: Onvia Forecasts Huge Wave of Stimulus Funding to Reach Infrastructure Contractors in 2010
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=102122&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1394130&highlight=
Analysts of Onvia, Inc. (Nasdaq: ONVI) say 2010 will be the year of maximum stimulus impact as funds that were obligated in 2009 will finally be awarded to contractors who will begin work in 2010. This, coupled with the investments covered by the pending Jobs for Main Street Act, will help fund projects from bridge construction to light rail, and Amtrak fleet modernization to fuel efficient vehicle purchases. Onvia is the leader in business-to-government solutions and the creator of Recovery.org, a private sector initiative to give businesses transparency into recovery project spending.

NY Streetsblog: Good Transit Saves American Households $1,575 Per Year
http://www.streetsblog.org/2010/02/24/good-transit-saves-american-households-1575-per-year/
High quality transit in large American cities is saving households an average of $1,575 per year, according to new research by Victoria Transport Policy Institute director Todd Litman [PDF]. That's not even counting indirect benefits like reducing congestion or improving health. It's simple math, with the price of fares and the cost of providing high-quality transit infrastructure and service on one side, and spending on roads, cars, gas and parking on the other.

STATE NEWS

News and Observer: North Carolina Governor Gives LaHood an Earful Over Bridge
http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/02/23/353605/perdue-gives-lahood-an-earful.html
Gov. Bev Perdue complained directly to U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood about getting shortchanged on money to replace the Yadkin River Bridge and widen I-85.  Perdue, who was in Washington over the weekend for National Governors Association meetings, said she met Friday with LaHood and expressed her displeasure with the state receiving just $10 million for a $330 million project. The decision was something "we were so disappointed in," she said during a conference call with reporters Monday.  She recounted telling LaHood that "the country could do with a good old basic, let's rebuild America program ... roads, bridges, highways, the ports."