The 1991 Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act made "intermodalism," or the movement of people and products from one mode of transportation to another, a transportation policy priority and popular buzzword. Eighteen years later, have we come far enough in developing a national intermodal transportation network? If not, how can Congress and the Obama administration craft the next surface transportation bill to promote a more integrated and intermodal system? What are the benefits that a more intermodal network can bring?
-- Lisa Caruso, NationalJournal.com
21 responses: Randell H. Iwasaki, Matt Rose, Susan Zielinski, Jeffrey Shane, Jon Martz, Michael Sussman, Gabriel Roth, Rep. John L. Mica, R-Fla., Ed Hamberger, Geraldine Knatz, Robin Chase, Jack Schenendorf, Bill Graves, Mortimer L. Downey, Steve Van Beek, Kurt J. Nagle, Rich Sarles, Steve Van Beek, Gabriel Roth, Leslie Blakey, Peter J. Pantuso
What do you think of President Obama's decision to make high-speed passenger rail service a centerpiece of his transportation agenda? Is it a wise use of taxpayer dollars to spend $33 billion in the next five years (according to the stimulus and his FY10 budget outline) to make a down payment on constructing a rail network that could take decades to create? Or are there better ways to spend this money on transportation?
-- Lisa Caruso, NationalJournal.com
26 responses: Jack Kinstlinger, Roger Dow, Lisa Caruso, Lisa Caruso, Randell H. Iwasaki, Jack Schenendorf, Gabriel Roth, Rich Sarles, Rep. James L. Oberstar, D-Minn., Rep. John L. Mica, R-Fla., Mortimer L. Downey, Deron Lovaas, Bill Graves, Gabriel Roth, Ken Orski, Terry O’Sullivan, Frank Busalacchi, Ed Hamberger, Steve Van Beek, Steve Heminger, Phineas Baxandall, Greg Cohen, Gov. Tim Kaine, Peter Gertler, Ray LaHood, Bob Poole
How will the loss of human capital experienced by transportation agencies at all levels of government in the last few years -- and the lack of high-level Obama administration appointees at DOT -- affect our ability to carry out new infrastructure programs? Does the budget squeeze on state and local governments mean that key positions will go unfilled?
-- Lisa Caruso, NationalJournal.com
12 responses: Randell H. Iwasaki, Jon Martz, Patrick Forrey, Emil H. Frankel, Jeffrey Shane, Robert L. Crandall, Lisa Caruso, Lisa Caruso, David A. Raymond, Emil H. Frankel, Steve Heminger, Ken Orski
President Obama's Feb. 26 budget outline had few details for transportation funding levels, except to call for $5 billion over five years for high-speed rail, $800 million for the Next Generation Air Transportation System and a $55 million boost for rural air travel. Nor was there any mention of how to fund the next surface transportation bill. What details in the complete budget to be delivered in April will reveal crucial choices and what in particular are you looking for?
-- Lisa Caruso, NationalJournal.com
20 responses: Lisa Caruso, Ken Orski, Mortimer L. Downey, Ken Mead, Lisa Caruso, Bill Graves, James C. May, Steve Van Beek, Gabriel Roth, Richard F. Timmons, Emil H. Frankel, Jeffrey Shane, Jeffrey Shane, Rich Sarles, Steve Van Beek, Leslie Blakey, D.J. Gribbin, Gabriel Roth, Greg Cohen, Craig L. Fuller
Last Thursday, the National Surface Transportation Infrastructure Financing Commission issued its report on how to fund the next highway and transit bill. It called for Congress to enact a 10-cent-per-gallon increase in the gas tax (and 15-cent-per-gallon increase in the diesel tax) in the next surface transportation bill while preparing to convert to a system that, by 2020, would charge people according to how many miles they drive.
This blog is fortunate to have commission Chairman Robert Atkinson and members Kathy Ruffalo and Geoffrey Yarema among its expert contributors. This week, instead of responding to a question, expert bloggers are invited to post their questions about the report on the blog, and Rob, Kathy and Geoff have agreed to spend the week answering them. So fire away, everyone.
-- Lisa Caruso, NationalJournal.com
21 responses: Rob Atkinson, Kathy Ruffalo, Kathy Ruffalo, Kathy Ruffalo, Kathy Ruffalo, Geoffrey S. Yarema, Lisa Caruso, Lisa Caruso, Gabriel Roth, Jon Martz, Patrick D. Jones, Robin Chase, Ken Orski, Kathy Ruffalo, Kathy Ruffalo, D.J. Gribbin, Robert L. Crandall, Kathy Ruffalo, Bob Poole, Kathy Ruffalo, Steve Van Beek
