The March 2015 edition of WasteWatcher included an article about local transit projects, “Transportation Boondoggles: Streetcars and Other Things Lacking Desire.” One of the culprits was the proposed Purple Line, a bait-and-switch,* multi-billion dollar, 16-mile light-rail line connecting New Carrollton and Bethesda, two Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C.
Gas Guzzling Highway Bill Chugs to the White House
Late on December 3, 2015, the Senate passed the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act with a vote of 83-16. Needing only a signature from the President to become law, the FAST Act is a hasty solution to a long-term problem without concern for the amount of taxpayer money it wastes. The FAST Act is […]
Blundering TSA Needs a Mid-Course Correction
In this post-9/11 world, Americans would not argue that the government should do everything possible to protect them from harm. However, an agency tasked with that mission has tallied a frightening number of failures in nearly every area of its mandate and is in need of more significant reform.
The Ghoulish Amtrak Blame Game
Within hours of the deadly crash of an Amtrak train in Philadelphia, big spenders from Washington and New York pounced on the tragedy as a reason to throw more taxpayer money Amtrak’s way. Let’s begin with the fact that eight people lost their lives in this accident. More than 200 were injured. Politicians and liberal […]
Transportation Boondoggles: Streetcars (and Other Things) Lacking Desire
The road to hell may be paved with good intentions, but in the “DMV” (not the Department of Motor Vehicles, but a local acronym describing the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia), it is lined with ill-conceived transit projects, some of which are being given greater scrutiny by chastened elected leaders.
Keeping the Skies Safe
As air travel becomes ubiquitous, the federal government must ensure that the crowded skies are both friendly and safe. In order to reassure the public that these objectives can be achieved, the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) air traffic control system must be modernized and air traffic controllers must be adequately trained.
McAuliffe’s Shakedown in Charlottesville: Highway Robbery
“Road to Rio” was a popular 1947 installment of the “Road” series of comedies starring Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, and Dorothy Lamour. But in 2015, it is “Rio Road” that is not sitting well with audiences in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Highway Trust Fund Nearing the End of the Road
The Highway Trust Fund is a transportation fund financed by an 18.4 cents per gallon gas tax extracted from drivers every time they fill their tank. The tax proceeds are then used to fund work on the country’s rails, bridges, and roadways. Unfortunately, according to a June 2014 CBO report, during the last decade “outlays […]
Murkowski’s Folly
The first rule of communications is crafting an effective message.
A March 11, 2014 op-ed in the Los Angeles Times by former Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt provided a unique glimpse into how messaging used by politicians can shift over time. The editorial detailed the push in the 1990s by former Senators Frank Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) to build a 38-mile road connecting the Alaskan towns of King Cove and Cold Bay. Opposed by the Clinton administration, the idea was to expedite the movement of seafood from the salmon canneries in King Cove to the airport in Cold Bay for distribution.
Happy 35th Anniversary, Airline Deregulation!
As a hard-nosed researcher of low fares (in other words, I am a cheap flier), I am appreciative of the fact that, thirty five years ago today, President Jimmy Carter signed the Air Transportation Regulatory Reform Act into law, on October 24, 1978. Prior to airline deregulation, the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) regulated the airline […]