TTD in the news

As reported by Michael Laris and Lori Aratani for The Washington Post: The chairman of the Senate committee that oversees airlines and U.S. transportation policy had his mask off for extended periods on a Delta flight to Mississippi on Thursday night, according to another passenger, and the company said he had to be reminded twice by a flight attendant to follow the airline’s mask requirement.

As reported by Alexandra Kelly for The Hill: The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) rejected a petition from a labor union Friday that would issue a departmentwide mandate requiring all passengers on DOT-approved transportation to wear masks, underscoring the lack of universal health protocols deployed during the COVID-19 pandemic by the federal government.

As Reported by John L. Dorman for Business Insider: The US Department of Transportation on Friday turned down a petition by a group of labor unions who sought a federal mask requirement for passengers riding on major modes of transit, including airplanes, buses, trains.

As reported by Ian Duncan for the Washington Post Labor unions representing transportation workers formally asked the U.S. Department of Transportation this week to issue an emergency rule ordering passengers to wear masks on planes, buses and trains or be denied a ride. Larry Willis, the president of the Transportation Trades Department, a coalition of […]

As reported by Leslie Josephs for CNBC Unions representing tens of thousands of airline employees asked lawmakers on Thursday for $32 billion in additional government aid to maintain their jobs through the end of March, as air travel demand remains low because of the coronavirus pandemic. U.S. passenger and cargo airlines, as well as airline […]

Listen as TTD president Larry Willis joins David Westin, host of Bloomberg Radio’s Balance of Power, to discuss what transportation workers need to keep themselves and their passengers safe as economies reopen. Balance of Power focuses on the politics and policies being shaped by the agenda of President Trump’s administration.   Listen to the full […]

As reported by Jessica Wehrman in Roll Call Three days after transportation workers complained to a House panel about the lack of enforceable standards to protect workers and passengers from COVID-19, the federal government announced it would distribute nearly 100 million cloth facial coverings to aviation, transit and passenger rail transportation sectors for passengers to […]

As reported by Jessica Wehrman in RollCall Three months into the coronavirus outbreak, transportation workers say they’re desperate for the Department of Transportation to create enforceable standards to protect them from this and future pandemics. But the DOT’s response, they say, has been consistent: It is not their job. Now, though, an increasing number of […]

As reported by Ted Mann in the Wall Street Journal   WASHINGTON—Amtrak plans to restart its Acela express service between Washington and Boston on June 1, a first step in the national railroad’s return from a near-shutdown after the coronavirus crushed rider demand nationwide. But how soon riders might return is an open question, Amtrak […]

As reported by Larry Higgs at NJ.com Transit officials, including those from New Jersey, New York and Philadelphia agencies, joined others to ask for $33 billion in the next CARES act to help them recover financially and resume full service when the coronavirus pandemic ends. Officials representing five transit agencies and three transit unions made the request during a […]