Transportation industry

The Arkansas Trucking Association plans to seek voter approval next year for an increase in the state tax on diesel fuel to finance highway construction projects.

Republicans on the House Ways and Means Committee quashed a Democrat-backed amendment seeking to revive many muni bond measures from the 2009 stimulus package as they voted Friday to approve a bill that would authorize the transfer of domestic energy development revenues into the Highway Trust Fund.

DALLAS — Alliance Texas, one of the most successful multi-modal inland ports in the nation, will suffer a blow to employment when bankrupt AMR Corp. closes its American Airlines maintenance base in Fort Worth.

Michigan lawmakers have unveiled a series of bills that would revamp the state's transportation infrastructure formula, raise $1 billion of new money, and create a new bond-issuing regional transit authority for the Detroit region.

The House Transportation Committee is expected to approve the $260 billion five-year highway and transit funding bill sponsored by its chairman, Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., despite sharp partisan bickering and an avalanche of amendments proposed by Democrats, none of which are expected to move forward.

In anticipation of a $5.3 billion rail project coming in under budget, Honolulu transit authority officials are contemplating adding additional features to the system like a fare gate system, according to published reports.

Adding toll lanes to the proposals for upgrading portions of U.S. 90 to Interstate standards in the Lafayette area could provide up to half of the financing, according to a new traffic study.

Kentucky has begun the search for contractors interested in designing and building its portion of the Louisville-Southern Indiana Ohio River Bridges Project.

In the wake of a Congressional Budget Office projection that the primary funding source for America's roads may become insolvent next year, House Republicans rolled out a proposal for a five-year surface transportation funding bill and a bipartisan group of lawmakers made a push to solve the crisis with tax-credit bonds.

DALLAS — Two years after sharply retrenching in a harsh economy, Dallas Area Rapid Transit is enjoying a lift in its credit score from Fitch Ratings along with rising sales tax revenue and lower construction costs.

BRADENTON, Fla. — A libertarian think tank is disputing the savings that might occur if two high-profile Florida expressway authorities are partially consolidated with the state-run Turnpike Enterprise.

The Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority will offer a mandatory tender and purchase Tuesday of all three outstanding series of its variable-rate general revenue bonds, Series 2003 and 2005, totaling about $535 million.

Houston last week broke ground on a $1 billion bond-financed redevelopment of George Bush Intercontinental Airport.

Robert Shepard has resigned as the governor-appointed director of the North Texas Tollway Authority’s board. Shepard’s resignation comes as the board faces a probe into it past business practices by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, but his departure is said not to be related to that inquiry.

The effort by the Kansas City suburb of Mission to tax residents for roadwork is illegal and cannot be collected, Attorney General Derek Schmidt said last week in a non-binding opinion.

Roads and streets in every city and all 75 counties of Arkansas would be improved and upgraded with revenue from a proposed 0.5% increase in the state sales tax, highway director Scott Bennett told lawmakers last week.

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority doesn't plan to issue bonds this year because it is securing a $546 million federal loan to help fund the $1.74 billion Crenshaw Line light-rail project.

The tug of war between Los Angeles World Airports and Ontario city officials over control of LA/Ontario International Airport has picked up steam over the past few weeks, but the issue appears unlikely to be resolved any time soon.

A day after Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood stunned the transportation community by saying it is "highly unlikely" Congress will pass a long-term reauthorization bill to fund highway and transit programs this year, lawmakers and industry lobbyists vowed to keep pushing for such legislation despite considerable obstacles.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority may get needed relief from New York State for high borrowing fees connected with refunding bond sales, its executive director said Wednesday.