The Surface Transportation Board (STB) has established a toll-free Rail Consumer Assistance telephone number [866-254-1792] and an e-mail address <RailConsumer@stb.dot.gov> through which rail customers and others may provide information to the Board on rail-related (nonenvironmental) issues. Fax number is (202) 565-9011 and the snail-mail address is: Rail Consumer Assistance, Office of Compliance & Enforcement, Surface Transportation Board, 1925 K St, NW, Suite 780, Washington, D.C. 20423-0001. Website: www.stb.dot.gov
These new contacts are not intended to serve case-specific environmental concerns. These are handled by the Board's Section on Environmental Analysis.
Congress has recognized the need to provide energy assistance to low-income households where occupants often have to decide between eating or warmth (or prescription drugs). In establishing Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) grants to the states, it was noted that the nation's highest heating costs were in New England "because of distribution difficulties peculiar to the region." (i.e., lack of a viable rail system as well as a network of pipelines).
At a time of gridlock in Washington, President Clinton has signed into law a record-setting $58 billion transportation appropriations bill for FY 2001. This legislation fully funds the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) and the bill includes $3 billion to the states appropriated to ensure that fuel tax revenue collected from the states in excess of authorized spending levels would also be used for highway construction and not be allowed to accumulate in the Highway Trust Fund as surplus.
At the same time Republican tax relief legislation, including a $10 billion in borrowing authority for Amtrak over ten years, may die with the Lame Duck session once the Florida vote is unscrambled.
Among its goals are minimizing congestion and improving efficiency and safety especially in metropolitan transportation systems; reducing accident delays; providing better information to travelers and providing better linkages between modes.
For more contact the American Ass'n. of State Highway and Transportation Officials at (202) 624-5800.
Even if Florida voters cannot decide who they want for president they have come down decisively in favor of high-speed rail service to alleviate highway congestion while providing seniors with an alternative to driving intercity.
Following the veto by Gov. Jeb Bush of the Florida Overland Express (FoX) claiming it would divert badly needed highway funding, voters here have now approved a referendum re-establishing high-speed rail corridors.
In Washington State voters rejected Initiative 745 calling for 90% of all transportation funds, including taxes collected from transit, to be dedicated to highways.
In Rhode Island voters approved $62.5 million in bonding to purchase buses for the R.I. Public Transit Authority.
In New Jersey voters approved Public Question #1 dedicating $400 million in existing petroleum products gross-receipts taxes, and portions of that state's sales tax, toward transportation infrastructure repair and construction. In addition, one-third of the sales tax revenue from the sale of motor vehicles shall also be dedicated to transportation. But the debate continues over how many more roads and highways the state needs.
The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments on Nov. 14 in two combined cases: Does the new 8-hour ozone standard requiring that air must contain less than .085 parts per million (reduced from .12 ppm) constitutes the US Environmental Protection Agency exceeding its Congressional authority.
Truckers, already hurting for drivers and experiencing state and federal crackdowns in safety compliance, complain that these standards come down too heavily upon their industry. A ruling favorable to the truckers next year could impact other federal administrative agencies as well.
A study of mounting congestion trends in 68 selected urban areas reveals that travelers are spending increasingly more time and money caught up in traffic.
In its Annual Mobility Report, the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) last week found individuals wasting more time in rush-hour traffic which TTI estimates costs 4.3 billion hours of delay a year, 6.6 billion gallons of wasted fuel and $72 billion in lost time and production.
In 14 of the areas studied drivers experienced peak-period trips that took 30% longer compared to non-peak times. Estimated cost per driver: $500 per year.
