Some pundits suggest Rep. James Oberstar (D., MN), Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, could be near the top of the list for Transportation Secretary in the Obama administration.

President-Elect Barack Obama may spend on highways and bridges to stimulate the U.S. Economy.

Proposition M – the half cent sales tax increase that would have gone to fund St. Louis metro – failed at the polls on Nov. 4, 52 percent to 48 percent. Metro will now have to decide if it will follow-through on its threat to cut transit services, including the Call-A-Ride buses.

Los Angeles County voters approved a half-cent sales-tax increase, expected to raise as much as $40 billion, for area infrastructure projects.

California voters approved $9.95 billion to fund a high-speed train network linking Southern California with the Bay Area.

The New York Times reports on the growing movement in Washington to devote the next stimulus package to infrastructure spending. Rep. Jim Oberstar (D., MN), Chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, has been outspoken in his belief that public works spending needs to start now. He responded to opponents who argue that infrastructure spending would take too long to create a meaningful number of jobs quickly.

The Pittsburgh-Review rings the alarm bell today, reporting on how critical it is for U.S. locks and dams to be maintained and rehabilitated. An Army Corps of Engineers project to rebuild locks and dams on the lower Monongahela River might cost twice as much and take three times longer to complete than initially estimated.

A century-old railroad bridge made unusable after its partial destruction by fire in 1974 is being brought back to life through a $35 million public-private partnership. Once the renovation is completed, the bridge, located in Poughkeepsie, NY, will be the longest pedestrian bridge in the country.

As part of a series on the energy challenge, The New York Times examines the burgeoning renaissance of nuclear power in the United States. The obstacles facing the industry seem daunting, but changes are underway.