#department of transportation

[reasonsforhope]

"This week, the Department of Transportation (DOT) announced a new rule requiring airlines to make bathrooms more accessible for disabled people. All new single-aisle aircraft will be fitted with fully-accessible lavatories.

Most flights inside the United States are single-aisle and as technology has improved, they are used more frequently for long flights, including coast-to-coast trips that can last as long as six hours. Double-aisle plans are already subject to the regulation but are primarily used for international flights.

Out Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg announced the new regulations, saying, “Traveling can be stressful enough without worrying about being able to access a restroom; yet today, millions of wheelchair users are forced to choose between dehydrating themselves before boarding a plane or avoiding air travel altogether.” ...

The secretary has made it a priority to improve service on airlines during his tenure. In 2022, six airlines were forced to pay millions of dollars in refunds to hundreds of thousands of customers and were also fined millions for causing the issues. The department’s firm stance on the side of customers has continued through this year after multiple companies have had meltdowns, stranding thousands of travelers.

All planes delivered to airlines starting in 2026 must include several upgrades. Planes already in service will not need to be retrofitted unless the plane is renovated.

“These aircraft must have at least one lavatory of sufficient size to permit a passenger with a disability (with the help of an assistant, if necessary) to approach, enter, and maneuver within the aircraft lavatory, to use all lavatory facilities, and leave by means of the aircraft’s onboard wheelchair if necessary,” the DOT said in a statement.

Accessible faucets and controls, grab bars, accessible call buttons and door locks, minimum obstruction to the passage of an onboard wheelchair, and an available visual barrier for privacy are also required upgrades."

-via LGBTQ Nation, July 28, 2023

Wayyyyyyy fucking overdue but I'll take it!! Also, very nice curb cut effect: We all get to be less miserable on airplanes, and older people don't have to worry as much about airplane bathroom fall risks.

#airplane #plane #aviation #airport #airline #airline industry #department of transportation #pete buttigieg #biden administration #democrats #voting matters #disability #disabled #accessibility #ableism #accommodations #wheelchair accessible #good news #hope #they should make them retrofit all the planes too tho #ugh at least the have to retrofit if there's a renovation ig

[kply-industries]

The New KPLY rail sedan. Because the Department of Transportation isn't the boss of us.

#animated gif #animated gifs #gif #gifs #old advertisements #old ads #retro #vhs #90s #KPLY #KPLY industries #train tracks #trains #cars #sedan #Department of Transportation #sass

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

After the Biden administration issued a final rule last week that would require airlines to automatically issue refunds to passengers whose flights are delayed or canceled, four lawmakers bankrolled by the airline industry introduced must-pass legislation that could undermine the effort.

As The Lever reported, the lawmakers — Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.), and Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Wash.) — introduced a new Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization deal that would require passengers to send a “written or electronic request” in order to receive a full refund for a canceled or significantly delayed flight.

The publication notes that, under this provision, “airlines would only have to pay refunds to the subset of passengers who have the disposable time and patience to go through a notoriously arduous refund process.” The FAA’s current authorization expires May 10.

The legislation comes after Cruz attempted to pass a measure that would give lawmakers their own security escorts at airports. Despite hailing from a bright red state, Cruz is once again facing a surprisingly competitive reelection campaign. Given that the two-term Texas junior senator begged for donations on Fox News earlier this month while complaining that “Democrats are coming after me,” it’s no surprise that he might attempt to placate donors where he can.

The provision in the FAA reauthorization would chip away at the Biden administration’s promise to streamline the refund process for airline customers — which has become a bigger issue as airlines have routinely sold tickets on flights they do not have the capacity to operate. “There are a number of airlines who cannot fly their schedules,” United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said last year. “The customers are paying the price. They’re canceling a lot of flights. But they simply can’t fly the schedules today.”

In an announcement last week, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg declared that passengers “deserve to get their money back when an airline owes them — without headaches or haggling,” adding that their rule “sets a new standard to require airlines to promptly provide cash refunds to their passengers.”

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) criticized the measure on Monday, writing on X that the “latest deal in Congress could mean that travelers are still bearing the burden of airlines’ mishaps,” and that this “would be a gift to the airlines, who know many travelers won’t have the time or resources to navigate the bureaucratic process they designed.” Warren added, “Congress should protect travelers’ rights, not pad airline executives’ pockets.”

#us politics #news #republicans #conservatives #gop #2024 #sen. ted cruz #Sen. Maria Cantwell #Rep. Sam Graves #Rep. Rick Larsen #Federal Aviation Administration #biden administration #refunds #delayed flights #canceled flights #Pete Buttigieg #department of transportation #Sen. Elizabeth Warren #rolling stone magazine

[thoughtportal]

jaanavi kandula

#tiktok #jaanavi kandula #police violence #police brutality #police abolition #urban design #urban planning #bike lanes #bikes vs cars #department of transportation #critical mass #pedestrian dignity #pedestrians #pedestrian #hit and run

[racefortheironthrone]

Inspired by a joke in The Onion, do you think there's ever been a Secretary of Transportation who couldn't drive a car? My understanding is that you can live and work in Washington without really needing to drive.

If you live in the city proper rather than commuting in from the suburbs like everyone stuck on the Beltway, yeah, there's decent mass transit in D.C if the Metro isn't on fire at the moment.

However, one of the perks of being a Cabinet Secretary is that you are assigned a "portal-to-portal" car and driver, so the Secretary of Transportation doesn't need to drive.

I don't know if there has been a Secretary of Transportation who doesn't know how to drive. It's a pretty new Federal Department, only going back to 1966, which means that the people who have held that title all grew up after the car had achieved dominance in American culture, so they probably learned to drive growing up.

#history #u.s history #u.s government #department of transportation

[shysideho]

#me this morning with my friend cause work is so incredibly slow and boring im researching state DOTS #mine #dot #department of transportation #states

[onlytiktoks]

#tiktok #schoolhousecaulk #new york #department of transport #department of transportation #train #walkable cities #infrastructure #queens #brooklyn #us govt #us government #new york government #long island #railroad #car centric infrastructure #public transportation #public transit

[newhampshireofficial]

New Hampshire Department of Public Works and Highways (1955-1985)

New Hampshire Department of Transportation Highway Token. (1986-1992)

#new hampshire #coins #coin collecting #department of transportation

[plethoraworldatlas]

The Republican-controlled House of Representatives moved to cut Transport Secretary Pete Buttigieg's salary to just $1 per year.

An amendment introduced by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia passed by voice vote on Tuesday afternoon — meaning no lawmaker objected to its inclusion in a broader government spending bill dealing with Transportation and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The underlying bill faces an uncertain future; the House was set to vote on final passage on Tuesday evening, but a vote was pulled at the last minute over concerns from New York Republicans over the bill's cuts to Amtrak. Instead, the House voted on the censure of Rep. Rashida Tlaib.

Even if the bill passes, it will almost certainly be blocked by the Democratic-controlled Senate, which is working on its own transportation funding bill.

#us politics #department of transportation #pete buttigieg #marjorie taylor greene

[meandmybigmouth]

DON’T FORGET ABOUT THESE PETE!

#air travel #pete buttigieg #airlines #southwest airlines #department of transportation

[state-of-connecticut-official]

If everyone could go to @ctdot_official on Instagram and spam the shit out of their posts about the parking garage in Stamford, I would greatly appreciate it. It is one of the most useless things this stupid department could spend money on and the fact that they brag about their ugly LED wall is so fucking annoying. we need to tell them that it isnt okay.

#fuckctdot #connecticut #department of transportation #parking garage

[mojoflower]

Time to Go Comment to Codify Traveler's Rights

[I just cut & pasted this from a recent mailing from Scott's Cheap Flights... which is a fabulous resource, if you don't know about them already. But here's a good way to reach out and begin stopping airlines from abusing passengers they way they've been doing more and more lately. Also, it's interesting to see that this is happening. Yay, Buttigieg!]

***

With rampant delays and cancellations, it’s been a tough summer for many travelers. But a new proposal from the Department of Transportation could finally make some headway in bolstering travelers’ rights.

Passengers’ rights today

Under federal law, if an airline cancels or significantly changes your flight, you are entitled to a full cash refund. Period. It does not matter if:

Your ticket is marked as non-refundable (e.g. basic economy)

It’s on a foreign airline flying into/out of a US airport

It’s not the airline’s fault (e.g. a global pandemic or bad weather)

You bought your ticket through a third party (though they may charge you a processing fee)

Your flight is on Spirit

Even if the airline’s cancellation email only mentions a flight voucher (as many do!), the Department of Transportation rule is crystal clear: If there’s a cancellation or significant change and you no longer wish to travel, you’re entitled to your money back.

The problem: how significant is “significant”? This lack of definition not only makes it confusing what your rights are, but it also allows airlines to change their policies on a whim. (Take United Airlines which, in March 2020, quietly changed their policy to claim that any delay less than 25 hours was not significant, and thus not refund-eligible.)

Separately, if you booked a flight in 2021 but didn’t feel safe traveling amidst a new variant, you were usually only eligible for a voucher if the flight still operated. And on some airlines, those vouchers had expiration dates as little as 2 or 3 months down the line.

Both those facts could soon change.

Proposed rule

Earlier this month, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg proposed new regulations that, if enacted, would be the largest boost to traveler protections in years. First, the DOT would finally define “significant.” Under the proposal, a “significant” delay is 3+ hours on a domestic flight or 6+ hours on an international flight. Second, the DOT would require airlines to provide non-expiring vouchers for pandemic-related disruptions. This would include things like closed borders, stay-at-home orders, or even just if you didn’t feel safe to travel because of a serious communicable disease. And if an airline takes a bailout—as US airlines did to the tune of tens of billions of dollars—those passengers would be entitled to refunds rather than non-expiring vouchers.

Make your voice heard

The proposed rule is currently in its required 90-day public comment period, after which the DOT will weigh feedback and finalize what final regulation (if any) to put forth. I guarantee airlines and their lobbyists will be registering their feedback in the hopes of watering down or even defeating this proposal. I’ve left a comment, and I’d encourage you to as well. (You can do so here in under 60 seconds.) ***Here's a link to Scott's comment, so you can use it as a model*** Don’t let the “proposed” nature of the rule fool you; it’s quite likely to become law. It doesn’t need to pass Congress, it just needs to complete the agency rulemaking process. While it will likely take over a year to be finalized, Buttigieg has been an outspoken advocate of travelers’ rights, and I would be surprised if the proposal ultimately fails.

This is not the EU passenger protection law

When I posted about this proposed rule on Twitter, many folks likened it to EC 261, the EU law that mandates up to 600 euros of compensation for delays or cancellations. There’s a big difference. The EU regulation gives you compensation and lets you keep your flight. This proposed rule only gives you a cash refund if you choose not to keep your flight. I’d love to see EC 261-style traveler protections in the US someday, but this isn’t it.

More to come?

Also this month, Buttigieg sent notice to the airlines of possible further action if they don’t voluntarily improve operations. He singled out two things that airlines should currently be expected to provide:

That airlines provide passengers with airport meal vouchers during 3+ hour delays.

That airlines provide passengers with hotel vouchers when flight disruptions strand travelers overnight.

While some airlines currently do this, it’s spotty at best and varies widely airline to airline and day to day.

Though these two are not yet formally proposed regulations, if airlines don’t improve service, that could change.

#airline travel #scott's cheap flights #activism #passenger protection #Department of Transportation #politics #go forth and comment

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Scott Horton  · Pat Bagley, Salt Lake Tribune

* * * *

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

February 25, 2023

Heather Cox Richardson

Yesterday, the chair of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, James Comer (R-KY), the chair of the Subcommittee on Government Operations and the Federal Workforce, Pete Sessions (R-TX), the chair of the Subcommittee on National Security, the Border, and Foreign Affairs, Glenn Grothman (R-WI), and the chair of the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and Government Innovation, Nancy Mace (R-SC), along with seventeen other extremist Republican members of Congress, sent a letter to Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg.

The letter complained that the federal government had not responded effectively to the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. It referred to a preliminary report by the “D[epartment] O[f] T[ransportation]’s National Transportation Safety Board” and demanded Buttigieg provide “[a]ll documents and communications regarding NTSB’s progress on the cause of the derailment.”

The NTSB is not part of the Department of Transportation.

The NTSB is part of the government, but it is an independent agency, charged with investigating civil transportation accidents. It is also in charge of investigating the release of hazardous materials during transportation. Congress deliberately set it apart from the Department of Transportation to guarantee unbiased investigations.

A 150-car Norfolk Southern train was traveling from Illinois to Pennsylvania on Friday, February 3, when 38 cars derailed at about 8:54 p.m. Those cars caught fire, and 12 cars that had not derailed also caught fire. The NTSB responded immediately and, the following afternoon, held a press conference explaining that it was collecting perishable evidence to determine what caused the accident and to make appropriate recommendations for safety upgrades if such recommendations were warranted.

Nine NTSB investigators and four engineers in labs have been involved in the accident review. They have reviewed footage of the derailment, interviewed train staff, and examined the train event recorder, a device similar to a black box on an airplane.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is the federal agency in charge of responding to the release of hazardous substances and leading cleanup efforts. Its personnel were at the site by 2:00 on Saturday morning, about five hours after the derailment. It has had six staff and 16 contractors on the ground since the crash.

The Department of Transportation has two agencies that are appropriate to deploy for this kind of an accident. The Federal Railroad Administration enforces safety regulations for railways, and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration enforces safety regulations for hazardous materials. Those agencies have deployed ten staff to help NTSB investigate. They will figure out if Norfolk Southern ignored any regulations.

This letter is not about the derailment itself, or the dangers, or the cleanup, or even the history of deregulation.

It is about the careful way generations of Americans have tried to create a government that could support progress while also guaranteeing oversight, and it is about the lawmakers who wrote the letter to Secretary Buttigieg.

Either 21 Republican lawmakers charged with oversight of our government don’t know how the government works and didn’t care to find out, or they are deliberately misleading their loyalists.

We are becoming accustomed to certain Republican lawmakers saying ridiculous things. Just two days ago, in a now-deleted tweet, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) claimed that “6 billion” people have illegally crossed the border since President Biden took office. (There are slightly fewer than 8 billion people on earth.)

But the letter these representatives wrote shows such a profound disinterest in how our government works that it suggests these representatives have no real interest in the job they were sent to Washington to do, and instead are weaponizing the government to mislead their followers into believing things that are not true.

Buttiegieg responded: “I am alarmed to learn that the Chair of the House Oversight Committee thinks that the NTSB is part of our Department. NTSB is independent (and with good reason). Still, of course, we will fully review this and respond appropriately.”

—

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

#Heather Cox Richardson #Letters From an American #Department of Transportation #deregulation #NTSB #Buttiegieg #Corrupt GOP

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is a favorite target of the right. Conservatives appear to have difficulty handling the most senior gay official in the U.S. government with a husband, Chasten, and children. The Buttigieg kids, Penelope and Gus, have been in the world for over two years, and Republican voters remain obsessed with their parents.

Throughout it all, Buttigieg faced political attacks from those on the right who otherwise praised “strong family values.”

It is, therefore, no surprise that Buttigieg is keenly aware of the realities LGBTQ+ people face in 2023 as conservatives attack the community and LGBTQ+ people from American society through targeted legislation intended to limit discussion of sexual orientation, gender identity, and books, as well as eliminate essential health care for transgender people.

“I think it’s gotten worse,” Buttigieg told Time during a recent interview. “I think we’re actually in an exceptionally ugly moment in terms of some figures deciding that there’s utility, political utility, in targeting trans people and LGBTQ people more generally,” before pointing to Republicans who voted against last year’s Respect For Marriage Act, which provides some protections for same-sex and interracial marriages. The bill, which received overwhelming support from Democrats, was opposed by 36 Republican senators and 169 Republican representatives.

“I mean, look how many people voted against marriage equality—which should have been an easy one—just as recently as a few months ago. And so I think it’s a reminder that none of what’s been gained is really locked in.”

Gallup reports that more than 71% of Americans favor marriage equality.

In light of the recent ruling of the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, Buttigieg warns that a Supreme Court decision also ushered in marriage equality, and the Justices have proved themselves capable of overturning established precedent.

“I don’t think anything is safe. I mean, Roe fell, and that was the law of the land for longer than I’ve been alive. Nothing is safe. Especially right now,” Buttigieg said.

Currently, LGBTQ+ rights in this country face a terrifying reality. Far-right provocateurs and lawmakers have moved on to identity politics after the court's decision.

These policies do not help Republicans win over middle-class voters, despite the praise of hard-right lawmakers. While Buttigieg acknowledges the privileges he enjoys, he believes this approach will fail.

“The situation of an upper-middle-class, married white gay dude is not the same as a trans kid in Texas or any number of LGBTQ people of color trying to survive right now,” he said. “They see political value in this. I see not only distraction but a very real harm that’s being done. And that’s gonna persist until they figure out that it is not rewarding politically for them.”

One of the GOP candidates for president in 2024 has gone all in on hatred of LGBTQ+ people. As Florida’s Governor, Ron DeSantis has unapologetically targeted queer people in his state, and it appears that that disdain extends to his professional interactions with Buttigieg.

One example is a proposed rail line connecting Miami to Tampa via a station near Disney World near Orlando. Federal infrastructure dollars could be a big boon to the state. As a result of its dispute with DeSantis, the company canceled an expansion of $1 billion and the construction of a station at Disney Springs.

According to Time, the train will instead head to the Orange County Convention Center in central Florida, but the longer it lingers, the less likely a Washington cash infusion will be.

Despite his best efforts, Buttigieg said he has yet to speak with DeSantis about transportation issues. Buttigieg noted that he has called DeSantis but has yet to talk to him.

“I’ve never heard from this Governor, and it’s not because I’ve never called him. We’ve never spoken. What I will say is we’ve done a lot of good work with the Florida Department of Transportation,” Buttigieg said. “We try to work around and through all that to just get stuff done. A huge amount of energy and effort is being wasted in these dumb fights. And that’s really unfortunate. It’s policy waste in order to achieve political benefit or perceived political benefit.”

Buttigieg added, “He’s more worried about Bud Light or Disney or whatever.”

#us politics #news #time magazine #advocate #advocate.com #2023 #pete buttigieg #gov. ron desantis #florida #infrastructure budget #infrastructure reform #department of transportation #railroads #republican homophobia #lgbtqia+ rights #lgbtqia+ #Florida Department of Transportation #alt right #republicans #conservatives

[thoughtportal]

East Palestine

#tiktok #more perfect union #east palestine #department of transportation #rail workers #us politics #politics #us political lobbying #rail strike #Norfolk rail #railroad workers #railroad regulation #bill johnson #gerrymandering #us congress #congress #voting rights #voting #regulations #deregulation #train derailment

[dailybehbeh]

Behbeh

#next level #adopt-a-highway #underwrite #advertising #marketing #road trip #highway #nyc #nys #ny #new york #dot #department of transportation #road sign #famous #fame and fortune #cartoon #teddy bear #illustration #dailybehbeh #behbeh #cu #stuffed #stuffed animal #cute #art #funny