Public transportation

“We are pleased that Judge Cardoza lifted the injunction, which will now allow the ferry service to resume between Maui and O‘ahu. Judge Cardoza recognized that the Legislature and our Administration worked cooperatively, within the boundaries of our state constitution, to pass a law that preserves an important interisland transportation alternative for the people of Hawai‘i.    » read more »

11/08/2007 -- California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger issued the following statement today regarding the California Transportation Commission’s allocation of $122 million in funding from Proposition 1B, the $19.9 billion transportation bond approved by voters in November 2006.    » read more »

November 1, 2007 -- CHICAGO – “The General Assembly is running short on time to pass a long-term funding plan for mass transit before the CTA and other transit agencies will take actions that hurt their riders in order to balance their budget.

“I’ve stated my position on many occasions that increasing the sales tax is the wrong approach.

“I know I’m not the only one who feels this way – both the Republican legislative leaders and Senate President Emil Jones have also expressed concern with the proposed sales tax increase.    » read more »

Baucus, Tester Say That Additional Funds Will Provide A Real Boost To Nation's Rail System

October 30, 2007 -- (Washington, D.C.) – Montana’s U.S. Senators Max Baucus and Jon Tester today praised the U.S. Senate for passing multi-year legislation that will authorize increased funding for the nation’s rail system.    » read more »

As traffic on roads and tarmacs grows, bipartisan plan would improve Amtrak's infrastructure and expand rail into more towns and cities

October 30, 2007 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Senate passed an $11.4 billion bill introduced by Sens. Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Trent Lott (R-MS) to fully fund Amtrak and bring the passenger rail system into the 21st century. The Lautenberg-Lott bipartisan plan would authorize infrastructure improvements and the expansion of rail routes into new American towns and cities over the next six years.    » read more »

Plan will help bring Nation's trains into the 21st Century

10/30/2007 -- BOSTON - Senator Kerry today issued the following statement on the Senate’s passage of the Passenger Rail Improvement and Investment Act. The Act, which Kerry co-sponsored, provides Amtrak with funding to improve railroad tracks and stations across the Northeast Corridor, and requires reforms that will reduce costs as well as train delays.    » read more »

October 30, 2007 -- WASHINGTON, DC – Today, a bipartisan group of Senators approved legislation to reauthorize Amtrak funding for the next six years. The Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2007 – first introduced in January by U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), Trent Lott (R-MI), Daniel K. Inouye (D-HI), Ted Stevens (R-AL) and others – authorizes funding for Amtrak’s capital and operating needs to maintain current operations, upgrade equipment, and return the Northeast Corridor to a state of good repair.    » read more »

October 30, 2007 -- “The passage of this critical legislation is truly a great achievement. For New Yorkers, Amtrak is not just a commodity, but a life source. Passenger rail is an essential element of our transportation network that provides irreplaceable capacity and mobility to New York and the nation. For the past near seven years, we have had to fight the Administration’s constant attempts to privatize and dismantle our nation’s premier passenger rail service, Amtrak. Eliminating Amtrak service would be an economic disaster and an irresponsible policy.    » read more »

October 25, 2007 -- WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Senate is considering the Passenger Rail Improvement and Investment Act, a bill sponsored by U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) to support the operation of Amtrak and improvements to the passenger rail system.

Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ), a strong supporter of Amtrak and co-sponsor of the legislation, spoke today on the Senate floor in favor of the legislation.

Excerpts from Menendez remarks:    » read more »

October 9, 2007 -- The state Department of Transportation (DOT) today delivered to Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell and the General Assembly a report by the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering (CASE) on the feasibility of using fuel cell technology for power generation on the New Haven rail system.

A 2006 statute mandated that the DOT commission the study and report its findings by January 1, 2008. The study will be the subject of a public hearing on Wednesday, October 10, 2007, at 11 a.m. in the Legislative Office Building in Hartford.    » read more »

Open Doors For New Competitors

September 26, 2007 -- SEATTLE – Washington Attorney General Rob McKenna today announced a settlement that addresses concerns surrounding the merger of the nation’s two largest school bus contractors. Eleven states reached an agreement with Laidlaw International, Inc., and FirstGroup plc to help ensure that school districts can still receive competitive bids for student transportation.

Jonathan Mark, an assistant attorney general with the Attorney General’s Antitrust Division, represented Washington in the settlement negotiations.    » read more »

September 26, 2007 -- TRENTON – New Jersey Attorney General Anne Milgram announced today that New Jersey has entered into a settlement agreement that resolves its anti-trust investigation of the proposed merger of the nation’s two largest school bus contractors -- FirstGroup and Laidlaw International Inc.    » read more »

September 26, 2007 -- Jefferson City, Mo. — A proposed settlement with the nation’s two largest school bus contractors will help preserve or encourage competition for student transportation contracts in Missouri, Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon says. Missouri is one of 11 states with anti-trust concerns about the proposed acquisition of Laidlaw International Inc., the nation’s largest provider of contracted student busing services, by FirstGroup (also known as First Student Inc.), the second largest provider of such services.    » read more »

September 26, 2007
Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal today announced a multi-state antitrust settlement involving the merger of the two largest school bus transportation providers in the United States - FirstGroup and Laidlaw International, Inc.    » read more »

September 26, 2007 -- LOS ANGELES – Halting the “anticompetitive effects” of a merger between the nation’s two largest school bus operators, California Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. today announced a settlement with First Group, plc (also known as First Student) and Laidlaw Educational Services. Under the terms of the settlement, the merged company will divest its rights in a bus depot to Riverside Unified School District and agree that Los Angeles Unified School District may terminate certain contracts for school bus services.    » read more »