For those not off to Grandmother’s house just yet, here are a few recent transportation-related stories, links and reports for your post-tryptophan coma reading pleasure. There are items on surface transportation authorization, traffic congestion, the economic impact of infrastructure investment and transportation finance.

The U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Wednesday voted unanimously to move forward a bipartisan transportation authorization bill known by the acronym MAP-21. In the latest issue of CSG’s Capitol Ideas E-Newsletter I look at why there may still be a long road ahead before legislation is signed into law. Here is some additional analysis of the bill and its prospects. I also have updates on the potential for a gas tax increase in Iowa and the future of tolling in Washington State.

The U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee took up bipartisan legislation this week to reauthorize federal surface transportation programs for two years and make major reforms to ensure greater efficiency. 

In October 2011, CSG hosted an invitation-only Transportation Policy Academy in Washington, D.C. for a group of 11 state legislators from around the country, many of whom serve in leadership positions on transportation-focused committees in their states. In addition to providing an opportunity for these state leaders to meet with their members of Congress about the future of transportation policy, CSG also invited a group of policy experts, public officials, advocates and observers to speak to the group about the policy landscape, what may lie ahead for states in transportation and what some states are doing in the absence of federal action. In the interest of sharing their insights and expertise with a broader CSG audience, this series of blog posts features extended excerpts from their remarks on a wide variety of transportation policy issues.

CSG Transportation Policy Academy, October 4-6, 2011, Washington, DC

From L to R: Sen. Frank LaRose (OH), Rep. Ed Soliday (IN), Rep. Dan Beiser (IL), Rep. Alice Hausman (MN), Sen. Bill Sample (AR), Rep. Hubert Collins (KY), Sen. James Hammond (ID), Rep. Bob Godfrey (CT). Also attending the academy but not pictured: Rep. Helene Keeley (DE), Sen. Thomas McGee (MA), Sen. Robert Beach (WV).

In October 2011, CSG hosted an invitation-only Transportation Policy Academy in Washington, D.C. for a group of 11 state legislators from around the country, many of whom serve in leadership positions on transportation-focused committees in their states. In addition to providing an opportunity for these state leaders to meet with their members of Congress about the future of transportation policy, CSG also invited a group of policy experts, public officials, advocates and observers to speak to the group about the policy landscape, what may lie ahead for states in transportation and what some states are doing in the absence of federal action. In the interest of sharing their insights and expertise with a broader CSG audience, this series of blog posts will feature extended excerpts from their remarks on a wide variety of transportation policy issues. Joshua Schank is President and CEO of the Eno Transportation Foundation, a non-profit foundation with the mission of improving transportation policy and leadership. During his remarks to policy academy participants, he discussed the legacy of 2005’s SAFETEA-LU legislation authorizing federal surface transportation programs, the need for a new focus and reasons for optimism about the current debate over a SAFETEA-LU successor.