Transportation wonks dish on Obama appointments
In between serious discussions about highways, barges, tolls, trains, planes and automobiles at Thursday's Lipinski Symposium on Transportation Policy at Northwestern University there was lots of gossip although not of the Lindsay Lohan/Jennifer Aniston type.
The day's big rumor was that U.S. Rep. James Oberstar, a Minnesota Democrat and U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee chairman, was a contender for transportation secretary. But talk also centered on plum jobs at the Federal Aviation Administration and Federal Railroad Administration.
Potential nominees for top spots included Oberstar's colleagues on the transportation committee, Nick Rahall and Peter DeFazio.
Rahall, a 16-term Democrat from West Virginia, was mentioned as a potential FRA head. DeFazio, an 11-term Democrat from Oregon, was named as possible FAA administrator.
To be sure, these jobs aren't as newsy as treasury secretary or secretary of state. But since we live in a region that handles a majority of the nation's freight traffic and is home to one of the world's busiest airports, getting the right people to lead these two agencies is crucial.
Speculation also swirled around what the Surface Transportation Board will do concerning the Canadian National's controversial plan to buy the EJ&E railroad.
CN predicts that buying the "J" and moving trains to its tracks will ease the freight bottleneck in Chicago. Not surprisingly, towns along the EJ&E, which runs from Gary, Ind., to Waukegan, are up in arms about more freights in their communities.
The soap opera is intensifying with CN pushing the STB to make a decision before a Dec. 31, when a deal to buy the EJ&E from U.S. Steel runs out.
Oberstar, who opposes the merger, said the optimum outcome would be for the board to hold off until Congress approves the Taking Responsibility for Community Act, which requires the STB to consider safety and environmental impacts of railroad mergers. The bill has stalled but Oberstar had hopes the new Congress will revive it.
Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Daniel Lipinski, a Democrat and the region's sole representative on the transportation committee, said his crystal ball was cloudy.
"It's a very tough one to call," said Lipinski, who supports the purchase. "I had believed something would come before the end of the year - now I'm not certain."
Those in the know also wondered what President-elect Obama will do regarding an expected vacancy on the STB soon. Obama does not favor the merger.
Power to the bikers
The Chicagoland Bicycle Federation is changing its name and raising its profile. Although the nonprofit organization that serves both the city and suburbs won't reveal its new moniker until Monday, it's on a mission to improve safety and offer alternatives to car travel.
"We have two main goals - to reduce crashes by 50 percent in the next 20 years and see the region reach the point where half the trips people make are by biking, walking or public transit," Director of Communications Margo O'Hara said.
What that means is working with the city and counties to promote bike trails and lanes. The federation has more than 6,000 members, half who are suburbanites.
O'Hara said cyclists should consider the group as a source for maps, safety tips and information about laws. For information, visit biketraffic.org.
Incoming
• Google and Metra are partnering to offer an easy way to plan trips on public transit. Visit metrarail.com/googletransit for directions on how to get from Point A to Point B.
• Rejoice Kane County. Construction is slowly winding down on I-88. On Monday morning, the eastbound ramp onto the tollway from Route 31 reopens. The westbound ramp from Route 31 onto I-88 will be ready for cars on Friday.
• O'Hare's first new runway since 1971 opens Thursday.