Not too long ago it appeared that the United States was gaining steam in the pursuit of high-speed rail. But recently billions of dollars allocated to high speed rail have been slashed from federal and state budgets. Transportation infrastructure projects create jobs and keep countries competitive, so why the hesitation? Blogger Gridlock Sam reports on the tug-and-war between politics and progress.

With nearly 150,000 bridges across the country structurally unsound and no plan yet in place, blogger Gridlock Sam looks at the challenges we face in trying to tackling our broken bridges.

How can we at once reduce our dependency on foreign oil, improve our environment, reduce the need to be at war in the Middle East, improve relations with the rest of the world and demonstrate our patriotism? 'Freedom Fees,' writes blogger Gridlock Sam.

America's on the slow train behind China, writes blogger Gridlock Sam.

It’s so easy to get on the bandwagon: lower my taxes, smaller and more efficient government, don’t touch my liberties, throw the bums out, etc. But what if that bandwagon has to cross a bridge? And what if that bridge hasn’t been maintained in years? An Op-Ed from Gridlock Sam.

For too many years cities have been paying for transportation projects with their hands out to Congress, lobbying for dollars even as funding bills grow moss stuck in the sluggish legislative process. It’s time to stop all the bellyaching!

From the desk of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, or at least what Sam Schwartz & Co. think the father of the Interstate Highway System would say about transportation today.

First the bad news: gas will rise to $20 per gallon. Now the good news: gas will rise to $20 per gallon. It’s going to happen whether you like it or not. It doesn’t matter if the Democrats are in control, the Republicans, or even Ron Paul. It doesn’t matter if you believe in global warming or disbelieve in evolution.

By the time the Second Avenue subway line opens in New York City, it will already be at risk for flooding in a storm surge. Samuel I. Schwartz and Morgan Whitcomb explain.

We work for an engineering consulting company specializing in infrastructure. Everywhere we go people are asking us about how much of a boon the stimulus plan (formally the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, (ARRA)) has been for us. They seem surprised when we respond it has had little or no impact on our business.

Two years ago, during the Wednesday evening rush hour in Minneapolis on August 1, the I-35W bridge over the Mississippi River collapsed, killing 13 people and injuring 145. Have we learned any lessons from this tragedy that help make us safer today? Regrettably, the answer is no.