| | | | |  | | By Sam Ogozalek | | Presented by |  | | | | | — Two previous DOT officials are assisting the Trump team with the agency’s transition, including a former chief of the nation’s pipelines safety regulator. — Before Trump returns to the White House, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is looking to enact the paused — and controversial — congestion pricing program in Manhattan. — Trading on online betting markets favored a Trump win. Now, the platforms are tracking Rep. Sam Graves’ and Rep. Garret Graves’ chances of being the next Transportation secretary. IT’S MONDAY: You’re reading Morning Transportation, your Washington policy guide to everything that moves. We’re glad you’re here. Send tips, feedback and song lyrics to Sam at sogozalek@politico.com, Chris at cmarquette@politico.com, Oriana at opawlyk@politico.com and Cassandra at cdumay@politico.com and follow us at @SamOgozalek, @ChrisMarquette_, @Oriana0214 and @cassandra_dumay. “ When I see the light shining across/ The freeway late at night/ Start to drift over the land/ And it hits me for the first time/ Now we're just two cars passing by.” Want to receive this newsletter every weekday? Subscribe to POLITICO Pro. You’ll also receive daily policy news and other intelligence you need to act on the day’s biggest stories.
| | | | A message from GE Aerospace: Building a skilled workforce in aerospace manufacturing is an urgent and ongoing challenge. A new survey of 1,000 US workers in manufacturing shows skills are key to worker success and retention. See where GE Aerospace is investing. | | | | | TWO FAMILIAR FACES: President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team is coming together, and Chris and Oriana have some early details on who’s assisting with the efforts at DOT. MT readers should recognize their names: Skip Elliott, who headed up PHMSA during Trump’s first term, and Brigham McCown, who briefly served as senior adviser to then-DOT Secretary Elaine Chao, according to two former Trump administration officials and a transportation industry official with knowledge of the transition. — Elliott couldn’t be reached for comment, and McCown didn’t respond to a request for comment. Elliott also was acting DOT inspector general in Trump’s first administration and has served as an executive at CSX. McCown was part of the president-elect’s transition team in 2016, too. EYES ON THE HOUSE: Republicans have the inside track on maintaining their majority in the chamber. Your MT host as of press time was still waiting on three races to be called for incumbent members of the Transportation Committee: Rep. Mary Peltola (D-Alaska), the state’s sole House member; Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-Ore.) of the state’s 5th Congressional District; and Rep. John Duarte (R-Calif.), who represents the state’s 13th Congressional District.
| | | LAST-MINUTE TOLL INTRIGUE: In June, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul put an “indefinite pause” on a contentious plan of imposing congestion pricing below 60th Street in Manhattan — but she has now taken a step to revive the program before Trump takes office, Jeff Coltin and Ry Rivard report . In recent days, Hochul’s office has asked DOT whether implementing lower tolls than the planned $15 would require another environmental review, according to two people with knowledge of the conversations. One of them, an MTA board member, said Hochul is interested in dropping the charge to $9. — Trump opposes the program, and advocates for congestion pricing have pushed Hochul to act immediately. A DOT official said the agency has yet to receive a formal request from New York. A spokesperson for Hochul declined to comment and referred POLITICO to the governor’s remarks at a recent news conference, during which she said she had spoken with the Biden administration before the election to prepare for a possible Trump win.
| | | | WHAT DO BETTORS THINK: Everyone wants to know who Trump will tap to head DOT. According to trades on two online political betting markets, Rep. Sam Graves, the T&I chair, and Rep. Garret Graves (R-La.), the chair of the panel’s aviation subcommittee, as of about 2 p.m. Sunday both had similar odds. (The lawmakers are being tracked for the role on Polymarket and Kalshi, whose popularity surged this election cycle.) Sam Graves’ chances were pegged at 37 percent and 35 percent, respectively, on Polymarket and Kalshi. Meanwhile, the chances for Garret Graves, who didn’t run for reelection, were at 40 percent and 33 percent. — Of course, the websites are simply a fun way for official D.C. to pass the time as political observers muse about what Trump will ultimately do. (Prediction markets, though, did reflect a likely Trump victory before the election). A spokesperson for Garret Graves didn’t respond to a request for comment. Sam Graves in a statement to POLITICO said it would “be an honor if the President called upon me to serve in the Administration, and it’s something I would duly consider.” But he also noted his interest in receiving a waiver to be T&I chair if Republicans retain House control , and he’s focused on continuing his agenda on the committee, “following up the enactment of the FAA Reauthorization Act with additional infrastructure wins for our country, and seeing bills like the Water Resources Development Act signed into law.” BUREAUCRATS WORRIED: A team of POLITICO reporters, including Chris , spoke with over a dozen civil servants, political appointees under President Joe Biden and recently departed Biden administration staffers to get their thoughts after Trump’s victory. Several appointees at DOT’s headquarters are despondent at the prospect of the next administration set on undoing much of their work over the past four years, including airline consumer protections. MUSK’S ALREADY INVOLVED: After the election last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke with Trump and, in a surprising move, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk joined the call. (As MT readers will know, Musk is now one of Trump’s biggest supporters.) “Yes, at some point Trump passed the phone to Musk. No, nothing unusual, they had a normal conversation,” a Ukrainian official close to Zelenskyy told Veronika Melkozerova. “President [Zelenskyy] just thanked Musk for Starlinks.” EARLY BOON FOR MUSK: The billionaire’s proximity to Trump appears to already be paying off. Tesla shares rallied Friday, bumping the electric car company’s market cap past $1 trillion. NHTSA regulates the EV-maker, and Musk could soon hold sway over swaths of the federal government as chief of a vaguely-defined efficiency task force. ENOUGH OF X: NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy, who Biden nominated to lead the board in 2021, seems to be done with X, Musk’s social media platform. In a Friday post, she told users they can now find her on Bluesky, a similar app.
| | | | A message from GE Aerospace:   | | | | | RUSHING IN GOODS: The nation’s major container ports could see higher-than-expected import volumes throughout the rest of the year as retailers confront Trump’s planned tariff increases and another potential dockworkers strike on the East and Gulf Coasts, according to a Friday report from the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates, a consulting and research firm focused on maritime issues. — Jonathan Gold, the NRF’s vice president for supply chain and customs policy, noted that last month’s International Longshoremen’s Association walkout was brief, but the union’s contract now expires in mid-January, and a second strike could be longer than the first. (The ILA is concerned about automation at ports .) Retailers are spending extra money to bring in cargo early or continue shifting it to the West Coast, Gold said in a statement. “And we’re hearing that some merchants will also move up shipments to avoid the costly tariff increases expected” after Trump returns to the White House, he said. An NRF-commissioned study recently found that the president-elect’s plan could drive up consumer prices by as much as $78 billion per year.
| | STRIKE THREAT LINGERS: Philadelphia transit workers didn’t walk off the job early Friday after their one-year contract expired at midnight, but a possible strike is still in the cards. Transportation Workers Union Local 234, which represents roughly 5,000 bus, subway and trolley operators, among other employees, is locked in contract negotiations with the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, or SEPTA. Local 234 President Brian Pollitt told members late Thursday there had been “sufficient progress” to continue talks past the contract’s expiration, according to TWU. But members are prepared to strike if negotiations break down. Local 234 has sought a 10 percent pay increase and has raised safety concerns after a bus rider shot and killed a driver last year.
| | — “ Elon Musk’s Cybercab could get a boost from Trump White House.” Washington Post. — “A Virginia toll road saved an RV-driving dad 20 minutes — and cost $569.” Washington Post. — “Trump Win Shows Political Limits of Biden’s Industrial Policy Vision .” New York Times. — “How to Build the World’s Largest Cruise Ship (or One of Them, Anyway).” New York Times. — “Chinese Car Sales Rose Sharply in October on Subsidies, Robust Demand.” Wall Street Journal. — “ Exclusive: Boeing close to funding agreement to help supplier Spirit Aero, source says.” Reuters. — “US agency raises concerns about Tesla Full Self-Driving social media posts.” Reuters. — “Elon Musk’s Mars dream could get boost from Trump victory.” Reuters. — “Boeing to repay furloughed staff, proceed with job cuts.” Reuters. — “Exclusive: Toyota aims to ramp up China production.” Reuters. — “American-Jetblue Alliance Breakup Upheld by Appeals Court .” Bloomberg. — “Honda’s New Electric Vehicle Is Quietly Creeping Up on Tesla.” Bloomberg. — “British Airways Owner Beats Estimates, Trims Capacity Target.” Bloomberg.
| | | | A message from GE Aerospace: GE Aerospace and its Foundation are stepping up their workforce development efforts investing $2.3M in 2024 to train individuals for high-skilled manufacturing jobs. More than 1,250 additional people will benefit as classes expand, add flexibility and reduce barriers. See where. | | | | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Follow us | | | | |
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