http://www.publicintegrity.org/investigations/transportation_lobby//favicon.ico http://www.publicintegrity.org/investigations/transportation_lobby//images/layout/cpi_logo_print.jpg http://www.publicintegrity.org/investigations/model/blog/ en mlewis@publicintegrity.org Copyright 2010 2010-03-17T19:59:06+00:00 http://www.publicintegrity.org/investigations/transportation_lobby/blog/entry/2000/ http://www.publicintegrity.org/investigations/transportation_lobby/blog/entry/2000/#When:18:59:06Z 2010-03-17T18:59:06+00:00 http://www.publicintegrity.org/investigations/transportation_lobby/blog/entry/1974/ http://www.publicintegrity.org/investigations/transportation_lobby/blog/entry/1974/#When:20:25:28Z The transportation lobby stands united in its collective angst with Republican Sen. Jim Bunning of Kentucky, whose objections to deficit spending brought many of the federal government’s highway programs to a halt Sunday night. The political impasse over a $10 billion bill extending unemployment benefits carried the additional consequence of halting spending from the federal highway trust fund, which pays for roads, bridges and safety inspections. Until the stand-off ends, thousands of federal employees are furloughed and hundreds of millions in state funding is in limbo.

]]> 2010-03-02T20:25:28+00:00 http://www.publicintegrity.org/investigations/transportation_lobby/blog/entry/1918/ http://www.publicintegrity.org/investigations/transportation_lobby/blog/entry/1918/#When:17:41:52Z The transportation world is buzzing over the President’s visit to Florida Thursday, reportedly to announce the lucky recipients of $8 billion in stimulus funds for high-speed rail projects. The Associated Press is among those reporting that the announcement will likely include high-speed rail money for 31 states.

]]> 2010-01-27T17:41:52+00:00 http://www.publicintegrity.org/investigations/transportation_lobby/blog/entry/1845/ http://www.publicintegrity.org/investigations/transportation_lobby/blog/entry/1845/#When:19:18:33Z The emergent high speed rail lobby, which we highlighted in a story today as part of our Transportation Lobby project, may be approaching its first true challenge. Organizations like the U.S. High Speed Rail Association, reform coalition Transportation for America, the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, French conglomerate Alstom, and other regional advocates recently joined advocacy efforts and created a website at fourbillion.com to pressure the Senate into matching the House’s proposed $4 billion appropriation for high-speed rail in next year’s budget.

]]> 2009-11-30T19:18:33+00:00 http://www.publicintegrity.org/investigations/transportation_lobby/blog/entry/1812/ http://www.publicintegrity.org/investigations/transportation_lobby/blog/entry/1812/#When:20:32:32Z President Obama wants Washington to get more creative on infrastructure funding. Railroads are undoubtedly part of that big financial future. Warren Buffett, an Obama economic confidante, has just placed a huge bet that could accelerate that creativity to his and rail’s overall benefit.

]]> 2009-11-05T20:32:32+00:00 http://www.publicintegrity.org/investigations/transportation_lobby/blog/entry/1731/ http://www.publicintegrity.org/investigations/transportation_lobby/blog/entry/1731/#When:14:27:29Z As transportation enthusiasts wait for official Washington to hash out a brand new $500 billion transportation bill, a duel just over the Potomac may provide a glimpse of the debate to come.

]]> 2009-10-26T14:27:29+00:00 http://www.publicintegrity.org/investigations/transportation_lobby/blog/entry/1704/ http://www.publicintegrity.org/investigations/transportation_lobby/blog/entry/1704/#When:11:00:29Z Wednesday was supposed to be the day by which the transportation logjam was broken on Capitol Hill. The nation’s existing law was set to expire at midnight, and hundreds of groups nationwide had once hoped that Washington would pass a six-year bill worth hundreds of billions of dollars to replace it.

]]> 2009-10-02T11:00:29+00:00 http://www.publicintegrity.org/investigations/transportation_lobby/blog/entry/1686/ http://www.publicintegrity.org/investigations/transportation_lobby/blog/entry/1686/#When:14:00:45Z The Transportation Lobby investigation shows that hundreds of local interest groups nationwide are bringing their concerns to Washington in the run-up to a new federal transportation bill. But increasingly, broad national coalitions are also stepping up their lobbying efforts in concert, asking for new transportation programs with some sort of national vision behind them.

]]> 2009-09-25T14:00:45+00:00 http://www.publicintegrity.org/investigations/transportation_lobby/blog/entry/1672/ http://www.publicintegrity.org/investigations/transportation_lobby/blog/entry/1672/#When:04:02:01Z Welcome to the Center for Public Integrity’s new investigation into the nearly 1,800 special interests vying to influence Congress on a new transportation bill. In the coming weeks, we’ll use this website to chronicle the future of America’s transportation policy, by analyzing the various players that are trying to affect its outcome.

]]> 2009-09-16T04:02:01+00:00 http://www.publicintegrity.org/investigations/transportation_lobby/blog/entry/1663/ http://www.publicintegrity.org/investigations/transportation_lobby/blog/entry/1663/#When:20:21:59Z Critical deadlines are looming to renew funding for transportation projects, but there are differing approaches to the problem in the House and Senate, and different committee structures for dealing with the issue. That may explain some campaign fundraising disparities as well.

]]> 2009-07-20T20:21:59+00:00