Statement Of John Robert Smith On The Passing Of Transportation Champion U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ)
June 3, 2013
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U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Today, transportation generally and passenger rail in particular, lost a dear friend and valiant advocate with the passing of New Jersey U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg.
Of the many trusted relationships I have formed through my work in transportation, my association with Sen. Lautenberg is one of the most highly valued. As the mayor of my hometown of Meridian, Miss., I worked closely with Sen. Trent Lott in the support of a national passenger rail network linking America's cities and towns, large and small. It was in the thick of that effort that I got to know Sen. Lautenberg and first realized the strength of that national system, which served both small town Mississippi and the rural South, and metropolitan New Jersey and the densely populated Northeast.
It was my good fortune to work with two statesmen, one a conservative Republican from Mississippi, the other a liberal Democrat from New Jersey, who did not let party affiliation or geographic…
Reconnecting America President and CEO John Robert Smith Responds To President Obama's State Of The Union address
February 12, 2013
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Reconnecting America President and CEO John Robert Smith issued the following response to President Obama's State of the Union address:
Reconnecting America Releases Report On Transit In Midsize Cities
December 6, 2012
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Reconnecting America today released a report that explores transit in midsize cities with a focus on best practices in transit planning, funding strategies, and outcomes.
Discussing How Local Agencies Put Transit to Work in Main Street America
September 4, 2012
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Reconnecting America Policy Associate Sasha Forbes attended the Community Transportation Association Expo in Baltimore in May in order to discuss Reconnecting America's report, "Putting Transit to Work in Main Street America: How Smaller Cities and Rural Places Are Using Transit and Mobility Investments to Strengthen Their Economies and Communities." While Forbes was at the conference, she interviewed people active in providing transportation in smaller cities and rural areas.
Los Angeles Orange Line Bus Rapid Transit Sustainable Corridor Implementation Plan Released
July 30, 2012
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Shortly after the opening of the Orange Line corridor extension to Chatsworth, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (“Metro”) released the Orange Line Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Sustainable Corridor Implementation Plan (CIP).
Transportation Reauthorization Conference Report
June 28, 2012
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With this bill Congress had the opportunity to establish a transportation program that would support communities' efforts to become more sustainable and economically resilient. Unfortunately, the conference report missed this opportunity and is in many ways a retreat from these goals. While I am pleased to see that funding for public transit was preserved at current levels, rather than being cut by 30% as was proposed last year, and that some transit-oriented development (TOD) language was included, the bill could have done so much more to provide transportation choices for people in rural, suburban, and urban areas to connect them with jobs, education, healthcare, and opportunity.
Reconnecting America Welcomes Announcement of TIGER 2012 Grant Awards
June 22, 2012
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Reconnecting America President and CEO John Robert Smith welcomed the Department of Transportation's announcement of $500 million in funding for TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) 2012 grants across the country, especially in small towns and rural areas.
Reconnecting America and Community Transportation Association of America release Putting Transit to Work in Main Street America
May 24, 2012
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Reconnecting America and the Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA) today released a report that examines how smaller communities and rural regions are using transit and other mobility investments to revitalize their economies and connect residents to local and regional opportunities.
John Robert Smith Conversation With Steve Anderson, Managing Director, InfrastructureUSA
May 3, 2012
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Recordings of the interview with John Robert Smith are available on The Infra Blog at InfrastructureUSA.org
Guest on THE INFRA BLOG
Conversation with Steve Anderson, Managing Director, InfrastructureUSA
Transcript
The Current Transportation Bill: Slow, but Some Progress
Well, certainly, this is not a seismic shift in how we see transportation. It is notthe visionary, interconnected series of transportation investments and choices that I want to see play out during the life of my grandson. But I do think we have to recognize the gains that have been made, and especially within the political context and the economic environment that we operate in. I do think there have been important wins in this bill, and even though it's short term, I think it sets the stage for a much more robust visionary discussion, debate, authorization, and appropriation for…
House Passage of Transportation Reauthorization Bill
April 19, 2012
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I am pleased there is now bipartisan action on transportation reauthorization by the House that can be conferenced with the Senate. While this six-month extension does not provide the certainty of a multi-year reauthorization, it will keep our transportation network functioning at current funding levels and allow for a conference to begin with the Senate on a longer-term transportation bill.
I look forward to working with the conference committee to ensure that the final version of the bill includes language to keep our existing transit systems operating and provides support for local communities to invest in new transit services, bicycle and pedestrian projects, and transit-oriented development. These items combined will offer more options for Americans in how they travel to meet their daily needs, reducing costs for families struggling with today’s high gas prices.
