Tag Archives: Ray LaHood

If only it were that easy to get our act together

Posted on May 5, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Outgoing Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has some blunt words for Houston about light rail. U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood likes Houston’s light rail that’s up and running but warns that regional transit officials have squandered opportunities the past decade by … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

There is nothing but highways

Posted on February 7, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

More bad policy coming from the Republicans in Congress. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said Thursday the House GOP’s highway spending plan is “the worst transportation bill” he’s seen in decades. “This is the most partisan transportation bill that I have … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Metro gets more light rail funds

Posted on July 2, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

From the US Department of Transit: U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today announced $1.58 billion for 27 transit projects nationwide that will improve public transportation access for millions of Americans while reducing our dependence on foreign oil and curbing air … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Metro gets more light rail funds

TxDOT gets more high speed rail money

Posted on May 18, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Still not much, but every little bit counts. The Texas Department of Transportation will receive $15 million to begin engineering and environmental work on a high-speed rail link between Houston and Dallas, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced [last week]. … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on TxDOT gets more high speed rail money

Metro in the President’s budget

Posted on February 16, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

They did all right. Houston Metro’s expansion is getting a $200 million boost in Obama’s budget request to Congress. The money for the North Corridor and the Southeast Corridor projects is $50 million more than the $150 million set aside … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

We’ll take it if you don’t want it

Posted on January 8, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Dallas would like the FTA to know that they will gladly take any federal streetcar funds that Fort Worth doesn’t want. That’s the message the Regional Transportation Council, with the support of Dallas leaders, is sending to the Federal Transit … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on We’ll take it if you don’t want it

Texas gets a teeny bit of high speed rail money

Posted on November 1, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a step forward, but a very very small step. High-speed rail in Texas, long left for dead, is likely to regain a pulse today when U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announces a $5.6 million grant to plan a passenger … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Texas gets a teeny bit of high speed rail money

Fort Worth gets streetcar funds

Posted on July 13, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Good for them, though they’re not quite ready to jump on it yet. A downtown streetcar loop could be in Fort Worth’s near future, but the City Council has some serious issues to consider first. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

“Committed” to rail

Posted on May 5, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Well, it’s better than not being commited. U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said today that his agency is continuing a review of the Metropolitan Transit Authority’s light rail funding application, but he declined to say when the $900 … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The transition team report on Metro

Posted on March 18, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

In addition to naming new Metro board members, today was the day for Mayor Parker’s transition team to give its report on Metro. Here’s the Chron story about their report. I’m going to focus on one piece of it: [James] … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The transition team report on Metro

Parker reaffirms commitment to light rail

Posted on March 17, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

This is what I want to see. [Mayor Annise] Parker’s letter regarding this week’s Metro board meeting was sent on the eve of her trip to Washington, where she said she would reassure U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood that her … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Parker reaffirms commitment to light rail

It’s our own fault we missed out on SUPERTRAIN funds

Posted on February 6, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

So says Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “If Texas had had its act together, it would have gotten some high-speed rail money,” the Obama administration Cabinet official told reporters. Thirty-one states shared $8 billion in rail grants from the 2009 economic … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The SUPERTRAIN passes us by

Posted on February 3, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

We knew we weren’t going to get much in the way of funding for high speed rail in Texas, but it still kinda stings to see just how little we got. The $3.75 million that the Lone Star State will … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Department of Transportation makes it easier to do transit projects

Posted on January 19, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Good news. In a dramatic change from existing policy, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today proposed that new funding guidelines for major transit projects be based on livability issues such as economic development opportunities and environmental benefits, in addition to … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Department of Transportation makes it easier to do transit projects

Texas applies for SUPERTRAIN funds

Posted on July 16, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Continuing my series of SUPERTRAIN-funding-request posts, here’s the DMN transportation blog on the status of Texas’ request. It took longer than I expected, but the Texas Department of Transportation has shared its preliminary application for its share of the $8 … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

It’s only a negative when it’s for something I don’t like

Posted on June 10, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Matt Yglesias writes about one of my favorite people. Randall O’Toole is a relentless advocate for highways and automobile dependency in the United States. Consequently, I don’t agree with him about very much. But the thing I consistently find most … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Green and Gonzalez get plaudits for climate change bill

Posted on May 25, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

After all the haranging I did on this, the least I can do is to note this. The Obama administration joined environmentalists Friday in heaping praise on Texas Democratic Reps. Charlie Gonzalez and Gene Green for helping climate change legislation … Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Green and Gonzalez get plaudits for climate change bill

Here comes the SUPERTRAIN

Posted on April 20, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Nice. President Barack Obama on Thursday highlighted his ambition for the development of high-speed passenger rail lines in at least 10 regions, expressing confidence in the future of train travel even as he acknowledged that the American rail network, compared … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Here comes the SUPERTRAIN