Highways, Bridges and Roads

The Georgia conservative wants to cap spending at funds gained via the federal gas tax — about $35 billion.

Your morning transportation speed-read:

The Washington, D.C. metro area's new intercounty highway is drawing criticism for its lack of use.
 
Officials in Phoenix are proposing a new light rail.

The panel overseeing the development of a controversial proposed high-speed railway in California has a new CEO.

An expansion of the terminal at Houston's Hobby Airport to make way for international flights has been approved.

Supporters of an anti-suicide net or barrier on San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge are hoping that Senate Environment & Public Works Committee Chairwoman Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) is able to include language in the pending highway bill that authorizes the project.

The San Francisco Examiner is reporting that, after decades of trying, proponents of the project could be closer than ever, since Boxer is a key Senate negotiator of the highway bill and she supports the addition. The Senate approved a two-year highway bill and is negotiating with the House, which most recently approved an extension until the end of the fiscal year.

Observers say highway funding bill negotiations could come to a standstill just like the traffic drivers encounter this holiday weekend. 

The chairwoman of the committee of lawmakers that is conferencing on a new federal surface transportation bill said Wednesday that a substantial portion of the issues that could prevent a deal between the House and Senate have already been cleared.

"I wanted to tell you were making very good progress -- I would say great progress -- on working through the various issues," Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) said during a press conference at the Capitol.

"Approximately 80 percent of the (Environment and Public Works) title ... is non-controversial," she continued. "The EPW title makes up about 80 percent of the entire bill, so this is a very substantial report I'm giving you."

Your morning transportation speed-read:

Passengers at New York City area airports will soon be greeted by a hologram.

A former Newark Liberty International Airport employee accused of threatening President Obama was granted the ability to own guns by an appeals court.

The federal Transit Authority awarded $745 million to a proposed light rail in Portland, Ore.

Transportation taxes have become an issue in Washington state's governor's race.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said Tuesday that he was "cautiously optimistic" about congressional negotiations over a new federal surface transportation bill. 

Speaking to reporters, Reid said that the chairwoman of the 47-member conference committee that is working to reach a deal on highway and transit spending, Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), told him Tuesday that 80 percent of the issues between the House and Senate on the measure had been resolved.

"She feels confident that significant progress is being made on this bill," Reid said Tuesday of Boxer, who is chairwoman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and shepherded a two-year, $109 billion transportation bill through the upper chamber.

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Negotiations in Congress about a new federal transportation bill are moving into their third week.

Lawmakers who are participating in the 47-member conference committee expressed optimism about the prospects for an agreement following behind-the-scenes talks last week.

"We've already had 20 hours of meetings, staff-to-staff," Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) said last week during the first of what she promised would be regular updates on the progress of the negotiations. 

Only 26 Democrats went on record with support for the pipeline project, a smaller tally than Republicans have been touting.

The top Democrat on the House Transportation Committee said "putting people to work is much more important right now."