DOT

June 3, 2009 -- Washington, D.C. – Senators John Ensign and Harry Reid today announced federal funding to improve safety and emergency preparedness infrastructure at the airports in Boulder City, Tonopah, and Reno-Tahoe. The Department of Transportation will administer the grant funding. Both Boulder City Municipal Airport and Tonopah Airport will receive over $1 million for necessary improvements. Reno-Tahoe International will receive nearly $4 million.

“Safety is always our first concern,” Ensign said. “The Department of Transportation’s funding for aviation improvements ensures that the public has the best access to travel.”    » read more »

June 2, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced today that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has awarded $15,978,467 in grants to five Illinois airports.

“Today’s grants will allow airports in Illinois make needed improvements and upgrades to help them serve travelers more safely and efficiently,” said Durbin. “These important projects will also create good paying jobs throughout Illinois during the current construction season.”

The following airports will receive funding under today’s announcement:

* Quad City International Airport: $3,750,000 in funding for runway rehabilitation;    » read more »

June 2, 2009 -- Washington, D.C. -- U.S. Senators Olympia J. Snowe and Susan Collins (R-Maine) today announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration has awarded $3,736,695 to Maine for airport projects in the state.

"These Department of Transportation funds will address major infrastructure and safety issues at airports of all sizes in Maine," Senators Snowe and Collins said. "Maintaining runway safety and improving airport services will keep Mainers connected and safe."

The funds are distributed as follows:

§ $130,000 to the Town of Jackman- This grant will support the rehabilitation of an airport beacon and a phase of obstruction removal at Newton Field Airport in Jackman.    » read more »

Funds will bring airport’s fire trucks and County’s mass casualty trailer under one roof for the first time

02-Jun-2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Barbara A. Mikulski and Benjamin L. Cardin (both D-Md.) today announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded the Hagerstown Regional Airport in Hagerstown $2.3 million through the Airport Improvement Program (AIP) to construct an aircraft rescue and firefighting building.    » read more »

June 2, 2009 -- WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today announced that the Raton and Los Alamos airports will benefit from federal funds being awarded through the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Bingaman said the Raton Municipal Airport will receive $1.1 million for perimeter fencing, which will enhance airport security and keep wildlife out of the airport movement areas. Funding will also be used to design the strengthening of runway 2-20 to accommodate existing and anticipated aircraft whereby increasing the capacity of this airport.    » read more »

HOUSTON, June 1 -- Continental Airlines (NYSE: CAL) today reported a May consolidated (mainline plus regional) load factor of 80.9 percent, 0.3 points below the May 2008 consolidated load factor and a mainline load factor of 81.3 percent, the same as the May 2008 mainline load factor. The carrier reported a record domestic mainline May load factor of 84.7 percent, 0.3 points above the May 2008 domestic mainline load factor and an international mainline load factor of 78.0 percent, 0.3 points below May 2008.

During the month, Continental recorded a U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) on-time arrival rate of 83.5 percent and a mainline segment completion factor of 99.6 percent.    » read more »

May 29, 2009 -- WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senators Carl Levin (D-MI) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) announced today that the U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded $1,425,000 to Sawyer International Airport in Marquette County. The funding will be used for lighting and insulation in hangars #400, 423, and 425.

“This federal funding will help Sawyer meet the needs of travelers in a safe and efficient way,” said Levin. “As we approach Sawyer’s 10th year serving the people of the Upper Peninsula, I am hopeful that this grant will help this important hub continue to grow and improve.”    » read more »

May 28, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today announced that almost half of the $20 million appropriated nationally for repairs and rehabilitation of railroad infrastructure damaged during natural disasters will go to Iowa. $9,599,243 will go to the Iowa Department of Transportation through the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) Railroad Rehabilitation and Repair Program to reimburse short line and regional railroads for three projects in the state. Harkin is a senior member of the Senate Subcommittee that funds transportation initiatives.    » read more »

May 29, 2009 -- U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand today announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has awarded two grants totaling $1,140,000 to Plattsburgh International Airport for infrastructure improvements and safety enhancements. A $950,000 grant will be used to upgrade nose doc hangars and a grant of $190,000 will be used to perform terminal expansion and security improvements.    » read more »

Funds Will Benefit Santa Fe, Four Corners Region, and Moriarty Residents

May 29, 2009 -- U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today announced that New Mexico will benefit from more than $4.7 million in U.S. Department of Transportation funding.

The Mid-Region Council of Governments will receive $1.08 million Bingaman secured to construct a new ‘park and ride’ location at the intersection of I-25 and New Mexico 599.

“The Rail Runner is proving to be a great, new form of public transportation. This federal funding will invest in a ‘park and ride’ area that will make it more convenient for northern New Mexicans to access it,” Bingaman said.

Bingaman secured this funding through the fiscal year 2008 Federal Transit Authority, an agency within the U.S. DOT.    » read more »

May 28, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals for key administration posts: Gordon Heddell, Inspector General, Department of Defense; Ellen Murray, Assistant Secretary for Resources and Technology, Department of Health and Human Services; Polly Trottenberg, Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy, Department of Transportation; and James J. Markowsky, Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy, Department of Energy.    » read more »

Pipelines from Canada Threaten America's Water, Farmland and Communities

May 28, 2009 -- Washington, D.C. -- Farmers, Steelworkers, tribes, rural citizens and environmentalists are all warning that construction of three massive pipelines designed to carry dirty oil from the Alberta tar sands into the United States would threaten communities across the West and Midwest.

An additional pipeline would carry chemical thinners from the U.S. to Canada. Today, a coalition of groups sent letters to the Department of Transportation's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration urging that the agency not approve safety plans for the pipelines.    » read more »

May 26, 2009 -- WASHINGTON – Senators Thad Cochran and Roger Wicker today announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation has released $4,778,461 in funding for airports across the state of Mississippi. Funding for the grants, administered by the Federal Aviation Administration, was provided through the Fiscal Year 2009 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies appropriations bill.

“These federal dollars will improve transportation infrastructure by providing greater efficiency, security, and safety at our local airports,” Sen. Wicker said. “In the process, this investment will help Mississippi remain economically competitive in the future.”

Funds have been awarded to the following airports:    » read more »

May 22, 2009 -- Washington, D.C. -- U.S. Senators Olympia J. Snowe and Susan Collins (R-Maine) today announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded $712,655 for essential projects in Maine.

"Rail and aviation infrastructure are critical components of our transportation system," Senators Snowe and Collins said in a joint statement. "Funding from the Department of Transportation will allow these recipient communities to make much-needed improvements to their facilities, thereby increasing the safety and quality of their services."

The funding will be distributed as follows:    » read more »

Grants Can Help Reduce Highway Deaths, Improve Access to Mass Transit

May 20, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Robert Menendez (D-NJ) today announced the U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded more than $4.3 million in new federal funding to both the City of Trenton and Rutgers University for highway safety programs and new research on public transportation. The City of Trenton’s funding will support highway safety programs in Trenton and Mercer County and Rutgers’ funding will support mass transit research, including studies of rail station access shuttles, transit-supportive residential development and the impact of low-cost bus service.    » read more »