| | | | | |  | | By Stephanie Beasley | With help from Sam Mintz Editor's Note: Weekly Transportation is a weekly version of POLITICO Pro's daily Transportation policy newsletter, Morning Transportation. POLITICO Pro is a policy intelligence platform that combines the news you need with tools you can use to take action on the day's biggest stories. Act on the news with POLITICO Pro. | | | THE AFTERMATH: Still feeling a little dazed from last week? Yeah, it was a lot. And as much as we'd all probably like to hit the reset button on 2021, the reality is that the effects of the Capitol riots continue to ripple throughout the country and within the transportation industry. DOT Secretary Elaine Chao handed in her resignation in protest of the violence. As of today, the agency is without a permanent leader. And more resignations could be coming. On notice: Flight attendants and other aviation workers say they fear for their safety amid an escalation of troubling episodes with travelers in the air and at airports. FAA Administrator Steve Dickson issued a forceful statement Saturday threatening to take "strong enforcement action" against rowdy passengers following multiple reports of Trump supporters disrupting flights in and out of Washington, D.C., airports. "I expect all passengers to follow crew member instructions, which are in place for their safety and the safety of flight," he said. Worrisome behavior: The Association of Professional Flight Attendants told its members in a letter Friday that in addition to "politically motivated disturbances aboard various flights headed to Washington, D.C.," there was an incident where a Black flight attendant was subjected to racial slurs as they rode to Reagan National Airport in a hotel shuttle. Potential consequences: Alaska Airlines said it banned 14 unruly passengers who were on a flight from D.C. to Seattle late last week. And as we reported before, Democrats on the House Homeland Security Committee have asked that the TSA and FBI add rioters to the federal No-Fly List. The FBI declined to comment when asked about the request on Saturday. But a TSA spokesperson told me the agency is "of course always ready and willing to accommodate FBI requests related to the No-Fly List." What's next: Some right-wing extremists are planning to return to the Capitol for President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration ceremony on Jan. 20, according to reports from multiple outlets. In light of continued threats, the U.S. Capitol Police will work with air marshals and airport officials to increase security for members of Congress at three regional airports. Airports may retain a heightened security posture, generally, in the coming days. Although, a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority said he could not publicly discuss the specifics of security operations and tactics at Reagan National or Dulles International airports. IT'S MONDAY: You're reading Morning Transportation, your guide to what Washington's doing on planes, trains, cars and everything that moves. MT would love to hear from you with tips, pitches and feedback. I'm your host today, but Sam will be back tomorrow to drive us through the rest of the week. Get in touch at smintz@politico.com or @samjmintz. "Faith is the key / Open the doors and board them / There's hope for all / Among those loved the most." Rock out to our transportation playlist on Spotify. | | | | HAPPENING THURSDAY - THE COVID-19 VACCINE ROLLOUT: What are the logistical challenges facing the coronavirus immunization campaign? Who is overseeing the process and working to overcome obstacles to ensure that vulnerable groups have access to the vaccine? Join POLITICO for a virtual discussion on the outgoing Trump administration's plan to prioritize lower-income, rural, and communities of color for vaccine distribution and what the Biden administration can do to streamline plans and fill in any gaps. REGISTER HERE. | | | | | | | | WE'D EXPECT NO LESS: Joe Biden is planning to ride an Amtrak train into Washington for his inauguration, according to CNN. Biden is expected to embark on a "family train trip" a day ahead of the ceremony, leaving from the Joseph R. Biden Jr. Railroad Station in Wilmington and arriving at Washington's Union Station. HOT DOC: A list of donors who contributed more than $200 released by the Biden Inaugural Committee on Saturday includes Boeing, Google, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Qualcomm and Verizon, among others. WHAT'S PETE DOING?: Biden's DOT nominee, Pete Buttigieg, is trying to make it clear that he wants to be ready on Day One of his tenure. He said in a tweet Saturday, "I'm hearing from a broad coalition of Americans — from every community and across political lines — who see enormous opportunities for job creation, equity, and climate achievement when it comes to advancing America's infrastructure." He followed on Sunday with a vow to carry out the mission of "ensuring safety for both travelers and workers," if confirmed. | | | MORE STAFF CHANGES: MARAD Administrator Mark Buzby and FRA chief counsel Gerald Reynolds are among the latest DOT officials to resign in the wake of last week's mob siege of the Capitol, our Tanya Snyder reported Friday. DOT's No. 3 official, Joel Szabat, also announced prior to the riots that he would step down and return to a career civil service job he previously held at DOT. And FHWA Administrator Nicole Nason left her position on Friday after announcing her departure to staff earlier in the week. KEEPING IT FRESH: NHTSA is requesting comments on an updated version of cybersecurity best practices for car safety first published in 2016. "Vehicle cybersecurity has high stakes," said NHTSA Deputy Administrator James Owens. "The safety and security of everyone on our roads depend on it. We have learned a great deal in the past four years, and I encourage feedback on the 2020 edition." SPACE PARTNERS: FAA and NASA announced Friday that they'd signed a memorandum of understanding to partner on commercial space activities. As part of the agreement, the agencies will build "a stable launch and reentry framework for the U.S. space industry," and develop a point-to-point commercial suborbital pilot program with designated spaceports and airspace designs, among other objectives. | | | NEW ATTITUDE: Senate Democrats plan to scrap a bipartisan surface transportation bill, S. 2302 (116), drafted last Congress for a new proposal that contains "more aggressive proposals on climate issues and other Democratic priorities," Tanya writes . A spokesperson for Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), who is expected to soon step in as chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee said,"One of Sen. Carper's top priorities next Congress will be to break ground on a better future, which includes supporting the priorities laid out in President-elect Biden's Build Back Better agenda." Why it matters: Industry liked the bill EPW approved in 2019 and saw it as more palatable than a proposal introduced by House Democrats last year. Congress has until Sept. 30 to find a path forward on surface transportation reauthorization or pass another extension. | | | TRAGIC: Indonesian investigators have located the black boxes from a Sriwijaya Air jet that was carrying 62 people when it plummeted into the Java Sea on Saturday in a crash that appears to have left no survivors. The plane — a Boeing 737-500 model that is older than the 737 MAX — is believed to have broken apart upon impact. "Pieces of wreckage were brought to Jakarta port by rescuers, including the plane's altimeter radar, emergency chute and a piece that was suspected to have come off of the bottom part of the plane's tail," according to Reuters. | | | | KEEP UP WITH THE FIRST 100 DAYS OF THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION WITH TRANSITION PLAYBOOK: It was a dark week in American history, and a new administration will have to pick up the pieces. Transition Playbook brings you inside the last days of this crucial transfer of power, tracking the latest from President-elect Biden and his growing administration. Written for political insiders, this scoop-filled newsletter breaks big news and analyzes the appointments, people, and the emerging power centers of the new administration. Track the transition and the first 100 days of the incoming Biden administration. Subscribe today. | | | | | | | | EXCLUSIVE: Embark, Kodiak and TuSimple have joined the Self-Driving Coalition, becoming the first autonomous truck companies to join the group. The coalition's other members include Argo AI, Aurora, Cruise, Ford, Lyft, Motional, Nuro, Uber, Volvo Cars and Waymo. Donald Itzkoff, a former FRA deputy administrator and Senate Commerce staffer, is joining Patriot Rail Company, a short line and regional freight rail operator, as chief policy officer. Itzkoff most recently headed global government affairs for Wabtec Corp., and previously led U.S. government affairs for GE Transportation | | | — "Explainer: Why is Indonesia prone to plane crashes?." The Associated Press. — "D.C. mayor pushes for enhanced security surrounding Inauguration Day." POLITICO. — "TSA's 2021 dog calendar stars airport pups. Here's how to get a free copy." The Arizona Republic. — "New York transit officials to vote on fare increase." The Wall Street Journal. — "Metro expects to receive $610 million in federal stimulus, avoiding cuts to service." The Washington Post. — "Holiday surge in travel exceeds last year for trips to places between 50 and 500 miles away, but is still less than last year for local travel and trips over 500 miles." Bureau of Transportation Statistics. — "Orlando airport's holiday travel jumped as Florida plunged into Covid resurgence." Orlando Sentinel.
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