Mineta Appoints Jackson, Dorn, Taylor

Newly sworn in Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta has recently appointed Michael Jackson as Deputy Transportation Secretary.  From 1992-1993, Jackson served as chief of staff to then-Transportation Secretary Andrew H. Card Jr.  Jackson has also held leadership positions at the Department of Education, the American Trucking Association and most recently in Lockheed Martin’s transportation division.  In addition, Jenna Dorn was recently appointed Federal Transit Administrator Designate.  Dorn held several positions at the Department of Transportation from 1983 to 1987, including assistant deputy secretary and director of the Office of Commercial Space Transportation.  She has also served as Assistant Secretary of Labor and is currently the president of the National Health Museum.  Finally, Secretary Mineta announced on May 9th that Vincent Taylor, formerly of the State Department, has been appointed Deputy Chief of Staff for the U.S. Department of Transportation.  For more information, see http://www.dot.gov

High Speed Rail Bill Introduced with Strong Bipartisan Support 

Legislation was introduced in January to allow Amtrak to raise $12 billion in capital funding to begin upgrading 11 rail corridors for high speed passenger rail service over the next decade.  The High Speed Rail Investment Act of 2001 is cosponsored by 56 senators including Senate Republican Leader Trent Lott, (R-MS) and Democratic Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD). 

The bill has strong support from federal lawmakers as well as state and local elected officials represented by the National Conference of State Legislatures, the National Governors Association and the U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM).  The USCM released the results of a nationwide poll this January showing 80 percent approval ratings for commuter rail as an alternative commuting option.  The legislation was referred to the Senate Finance Committee in early February.  For more information, see http://www.congress.gov .

Bush Cabinet Includes Smart Growth Leaders

Several Bush Cabinet members and agency heads brought attention to transportation and land use issues while serving as state and local elected officials.  These include former New Jersey Governor Christie Todd Whitman now head of Environmental Protection Agency, Mel Martinez, former Director of Florida’s Growth Management Study Commission and now Housing and Urban Development Secretary, and former Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson who is now Secretary of Health and Human Services, but continues to serve on the Amtrak Board of Directors.

Brownfields Bill Passes Senate

This April, the Senate passed S. 350, the Brownfields Revitalization and Environmental Restoration Act of 2001, by a vote of 99-0.  The bill authorizes $200 million per year to state and local governments to assess and cleanup brownfield sites, and an additional $50 million per year to establish and enhance state brownfields programs.  The bill also clarifies liability for contiguous landowners, prospective purchasers and innocent landowners.  Attention now turns toward the House of Representatives where there is also considerable interest in the bill.  For more information, see http://www.congress.gov.