Articles on Transportation

Includes airports, construction, funding, highways, high speed rail, infrastructure, planning, public transport, and shipping.

LaHood: Still Our Goal To Connect 80 Percent of Americans to High Speed Rail by 2036
Transportation Nation, January 25, 2012

The U.S. Transportation Secretary, Ray LaHood, still wants to connect 80 percent of Americans to high speed rail by 2036.  That’s the goal that President Barack Obama laid out in last year’s state of the union.  But since then, the governors of Florida and Ohio followed Wisconsin’s governor in halting their states’ projects, and congress made no new allocations of high speed rail funds going forward.

Purdue Receives Transportation Funding
Inside Indiana Business, January 20, 2012
The NEXTRANS Center at Purdue University has been awarded a $3.5 million research grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to advance research and education programs that address the nation's critical transportation challenges.Purdue will lead a consortium of eight other Midwest universities in Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin, including the private Martin University in Indianapolis.

USDOT Grants Target Three Rail, Intermodal Research Centers
Progressive Railroading, January 20, 2012
The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) recently awarded a $3.5 million grant to a multi-university consortium led by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to establish a rail transportation and engineering research center.

Chicago Banks on Rail
Columbia Chronicle, January 17, 2012
A number of initiatives put forth by many levels of government in cooperation with the private sector could establish Chicago as a launching point for comprehensive high-speed rail networks in the Midwest.

Wisconsin, Minnesota Ponder Expanding Amtrak Service
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, January 15, 2012
Wisconsin, Minnesota and Amtrak officials have started talks that could lead to expanding the current passenger train service between Chicago, Milwaukee and Minneapolis-St. Paul.

Amtrak Buying New Locomotives, Rail Cars
Washington Post, January 12, 2012

Amtrak this year will pay $466 million for 70 new locomotives to enhance the speed and reliability of rail service in the Northeast corridor and invest another $298 million in 130 new rail cars to serve the East Coast and Midwest.

Gov. Quinn Lights Up About Efficient Energy
Medill Reports Chicago, January 11, 2012
Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn kicked off the Midwest Industrial Energy Efficiency Summit Wednesday, strongly endorsing plans for a high-speed rail line from Chicago to St. Louis.

Detroit Unsure Over the Future of Green Cars
Breitbart.com, January 11, 2012
Sergio Marchionne, the head of Fiat and Chrysler, reiterated his doubts over the market, especially for electric cars, at the Detroit show, citing both the pricing problem and the availability of batteries.

USDOT Awards $186 Million for Midwest High-Speed Rail
Railroad.net, January 7, 2012
The northern section of the Midwest’s high-speed corridor will play a pivotal role in connecting the 100 million people in the Midwest region.  The $186 million will be used to create jobs this year, but it will have a positive effect on the Midwest for decades to come.

Revised Light-Rail Plan Under Consideration
CBS Detroit, January 6, 2012
Following a meeting Friday afternoon in Detroit, Mayor Dave Bing and Governor Rick Snyder now say they’re supporting a new plan for a light-rail line on Woodward Avenue.

December 2011

Troy Turns Down Plan for Transit Center, Passes on $8.4M in Fed Funds
Detroit News, December 20, 2011
After a decade of planning, a regional transit center is off the table after the Troy council voted Monday to pass up a design contract that would have paved the way for $8.4 million in federal funding to build it.

Column: Unhappy Biz Leaders Speak Out
Detroit News, December 18, 2011
Protocol for Detroit's business community is that it stands mostly in the shadows, acting as an invisible hand that funds projects, backs candidates and helps shape the city landscape, but doesn't engage publicly in political discourse.

Tarter: Peoria Left at the Station Again
Peoria Journal Star, December 18, 2011
While news was provided about the millions being spent on track upgrades, that high-speed rail was progressing, that new equipment was on order, that a new station would rise in Joliet, that new service to Rockford and the Quad Cities was on tap, Peoria would get ... a bus to connect to the Amtrak station in Normal.

Economists Pitch Halifax-Detroit Freight Link
Bridge Michigan, December 15, 2011

The Great Lakes Global Freight Gateway ultimately could create 150,000 jobs associated with transporting billions of dollars of auto parts, chemicals, agricultural products and finished goods sold by major retailers throughout the Midwest, backers say.

Rapid Buses Bump Light Rail Plan
Detroit News, December 14, 2011
Detroit is struggling with significant financial issues, and a rapid regional bus system is far cheaper than building a light rail system along Woodward Avenue and could serve far more people, officials said.

Light Rail Backers Push Woodward Line as Bus System Proposed
Detroit News, December 14, 2011
In a letter to Detroit and Michigan elected leaders and in comments to local media, those that have committed $100 million to bring light rail down the region's main thoroughfare say they won't give up.

CTA Getting Federal Grant to Finish Grades in O'Hare Train Line
Chicago Business, December 12, 2011

November 2011

Light Rail on Woodward Moves Ahead
Detroit News, November 29, 2011
A light rail system along Woodward from downtown Detroit to Eight Mile got a boost Friday from the White House.

American Airlines says its Chapter 11 Stint Won't Hinder O'Hare Plans
Crain's Chicago Business, November 29, 2011
American Airlines has told Chicago officials that its bankruptcy will not impair its short-term operations or the city's expansion plans at O'Hare International Airport.

Luetkemeyer Discusses Need for Funding Transportation
eMissiourian.com, November 23, 2011
Ninth District Congressman Blaine Luetkemeyer told area citizens and officials that federal lawmakers recognize the need to fund transportation infrastructure but that a sense of urgency is lacking.

High-Speed Rail in Missouri is Snapshot of Government Delusions
Southeast Missourian, November 23, 2011
If you think it is ludicrous that the construction of a single rail line across central Missouri could account for 7 percent of the state's entire labor force, well, you are correct. But absurd estimates like this are typical for high-speed rail proposals.

High-Speed Rail Deserves a Careful Consideration
Ledger-Enquirer, November 20, 2011
The late Floyd Hudgins, a colorful and often controversial state senator, once proposed the idea of a high-speed passenger rail line between Atlanta and Columbus. The chuckles from his colleagues and constituents could be heard all the way down a perpetually under-construction I-185 to Columbus. Now the idea of a high-speed rail system that would connect Columbus to other cities is once again in the dreaming stage.

Minnesota Plan Would Send High-Speed Rail to Milwaukee 
The Business Journal, November 18, 2011
The Minnesota Department of Transportation is recommending a $2.4 billion plan to upgrade Amtrak’s Empire Builder train route for high-speed service connecting Milwaukee and the Twin Cities.

Did the CTA and Metra Save Chicago?
Chicago Magazine, November 17, 2011
A recent unofficial city motto has been "Chicago: We're not Detroit." It's fun to get urbanists and historians talking about why that's the case: why Chicago, though it has lost population over the last decade, has avoided the collapse its midwest/rust belt peers have faced.

Girard Township Being Asked to Close Rail Crossing
State Journal-Register, November 12, 2011
Railroad officials and the Illinois Commerce Commission are offering Girard Township $725,000 to close a railroad crossing because of high-speed train safety concerns.

Soul of Kansas: Cessna's Vision Helped State Become Aviation Capital
Topeka Capital-Journal, November 12, 2011
Aviation has become one of the state’s most tremendous transformational contributions to the world and today is home to many of the industry’s leading aerospace companies. One early pioneer was Clyde Vernon Cessna.

How to Rebuild Our Nation's Roads and Rails
Fortune, November 11, 2011
Amid all the bitter wrangling between big business and the White House, there is one point of agreement: the need to rebuild the nation's roads, bridges, and rails. Burlington Northern Railroad CEO Matt Rose offers solutions.

High Cost Makes Aviation Biofuel Slow to Take Off
Wired Magazine, November 10, 2011
Biofuel-powered airliners shuttled passengers across the United States for the first time this week, carrying with them the dream of more sustainable aviation fuel. But so far the promise of greener aviation remains elusive, and the industry concedes it is years away from making a significant dent in the billions of gallons airlines consume each year.

Diesel Fuel Shortage Hits State
Lincoln Journal Star, November 10, 2011
Diesel fuel is in such short supply in the upper Midwest that people in the fuel industry say it's the worst shortage they can remember.

Governor Snyder Touts Higher Speed Rail for Michigan
Michigan Radio 91.7, November 1, 2011
Governor Rick Snyder met with lawmakers, federal officials and the railroad industry yesterday to talk about the future of rail transportation in our state.

October 2011

Opinion: Bus Service is the Missing Link in Rail Study
Peoria Journal Star, October 30, 2011
When details from a feasibility study regarding passenger service between Peoria and Bloomington came to light last week, Bill Winkler suggested that one detail was missing: the bus.

Opinion: High-Speed Rail is Backed by the Data
Twin Cities Star Tribune, October 30, 2011
The time is now to make investments that create jobs today and economic development for generations to come. And the time to begin kicking our oil habit is before gas prices get more staggering -- and while we have federal rail money available to help.

Durbin and Costello Denounce House Amtrak Bill: Hurts Illinois Economy
Examiner.com, October 28, 2011
Illinois Senator Dick Durbin stated that the House of Representatives Fiscal Yera 2012 Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development Appropriations bill, which sharply cuts funding for Amtrak by 60 percent, would have a devastating impact on Midwestern transportation, employment and job creation, and any hope for economic growth and recovery.

Gov. Snyder: $120 Auto Fee Hike May Pay for Road Repairs
Detroit News, October 27, 2011
Michigan needs another $1.4 billion for roads annually and Gov. Rick Snyder on Wednesday suggested hiking vehicle registration fees to help come up with the money.

Officials Pushing for More Trains on Joliet’s Future High-Speed Rail
Herald-News, October 26, 2011
State transportation officials want to add more trips for future high-speed rail trains moving from Joliet to St. Louis.

Workers, Students Riled by Late DDOT Buses
Detroit News, October 25, 2011
Long waits play out daily for Detroit bus riders as the Detroit Department of Transportation has been unable to get enough buses running on time, creating what some city officials are calling a transportation crisis.

Opinion: Heartland Rail Project Could Mean Jobs for Ohio, W.Va.
Marietta Times, October 24, 2011
While President Barack Obama was attempting to convince Americans they should spend billions of dollars on high-speed railroads, a much more important railroad project was proceeding in this area of the country.

Hub Backers Vow to Keep Working, Absent Aerotropolis
STLtoday.com, October 24, 2011
The apparent death of the Aerotropolis tax credit in Jefferson City leaves St. Louis cargo hub supporters without the tool they've insisted was crucial to turn Chinese flights into a regional economic engine.

Local Leaders Press for Expanded Passenger Rail in Iowa
Des Moines Register, October 24, 2011
Local officials were urged Monday to keep the pressure on Iowa’s state and federal lawmakers in the battle to expand the state’s passenger rail network.

Snyder Vows to Push Bridge Plan Ahead Despite Rejection
Detroit News, October 21, 2011
A Senate panel Thursday rejected Gov. Rick Snyder's plan for a public bridge to Canada, but the governor said he remains determined to push the project through the Legislature after a "cooling-off period."

Growth In Transportation Anticipated In Northern Wisconsin, Minnesota
Ashland Current, October 20, 2011
High-paying jobs with benefits. That’s always the battle cry in Northeastern Minnesota and Northwestern Wisconsin. Despite the recession, more of those coveted positions are likely to emerge, but not in headline-grabbing technology positions.

China Hub Incentives Grounded for Now, but May Fly Later
St. Louis Beacon, October 19, 2011
Mike Jones, chairman of the region's China Hub Commission, says the effort to persuade China to locate a cargo hub at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport remains alive despite the General Assembly's failure to pass related tax incentives.

New Report Sheds Light on Safety of Twin Cities Bridges
KSTP Twin Cities, October 19, 2011
A report released Wednesday morning is shedding light on the health of our nation's bridges. While it appears progress has been made since the 35W bridge collapse, dozens of Twin Cities bridges are still in need of repair.

Feds Working to Boost Transit Manufacturing
Detroit News, October 18, 2011
The Commerce Department's Manufacturing Extension Partnership is working to aid companies as part of the Transportation Department's strict "Buy American" standards, connecting U.S. manufacturers and suppliers for work on highways, railways and transit projects, and in the process help to create jobs.

Opinion: Put the Brakes on Rail Line
Twin Cities Star Tribune, October 18, 2011
Congressman Cravaack believes that high employment means that we are not in much of a position to divert from a "first things first" approach. According to him, rail funding is one of those diversions.

LaHood: $46.7M in Federal Funds Coming for DDOT Buses, Light Rail
Detroit News, October 18, 2011
An infusion of millions of federal dollars announced Monday by Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood is expected to help Detroit solve a months-long busing crisis that has left riders stranded curbside for hours.

Rail Project Gets Federal Endorsement
Examiner.com, October 14, 2011
On Monday U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood stopped by Chicago to participate in a groundbreaking for a new federally-funded rail project that will ultimately make Chicago the nation's transportation hub when it comes to freight and commuter trains.

High-Speed Rail Hitting Speed Bump at Porter Junction
NWI Times, October 6, 2011
A congested rail junction in this town now holds the key to unlocking the potential of more than half a billion dollars in federal high-speed rail funds.

Michigan Gets Funds To Improve Detroit-Kalamazoo Track
WDIV Detroit, October 5, 2011
The improvements would allow for speeds up to 110 mph on 77 percent of Amtrak's Wolverine and Blue Water service between Detroit and Chicago. The result will be a 30 minute travel time reduction between those destinations.