Author Archive
Daniel C. Vock
Dan Vock is a senior reporter at Route Fifty, where he focuses on transportation and infrastructure. He has covered state and local government for two decades, first as an Illinois statehouse reporter and later as a national reporter based in Washington, D.C. Dan has written stories about every state in the country, and has reported on the ground from half of them (so far). He won a Jesse H. Neal award for best profile and earned a fellowship from the Columbia Journalism School’s Ira A. Lipman Center for Journalism and Civil and Human Rights.
Infrastructure
Congestion pricing plan OK’d in New York
The plan would bring in billions of dollars for the city’s aging subway system. But some details of how it will be enforced are unclear.
- By Daniel C. Vock
Infrastructure
Massive ships make protecting bridges a much tougher task
As officials evaluate replacing Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, they must consider the weight and size of increasingly large vessels.
- By Daniel C. Vock
Infrastructure
Rebuilding the collapsed Baltimore bridge will be a ‘FAR bigger challenge’
While recent bridge replacements have been completed in a matter of weeks, this incident will be tougher to recover from and have wider impacts.
- By Daniel C. Vock
Finance
States love March Madness. That’s a problem for many.
As more states have legalized sports betting, they’ve also seen a dramatic uptick in gambling addiction.
- By Daniel C. Vock
Management
How New Jersey’s new affordable housing law aims to ease the housing crisis
The new law lets municipalities know exactly how much affordable housing they have to build. It’s an approach that states are increasingly trying in an effort to pressure local governments to increase affordable options.
- By Daniel C. Vock
Infrastructure
Automakers get some breathing room in EPA air pollution rules
The Biden administration is still pushing for a major shift to electric vehicles by 2032, but many Republicans remain skeptical.
- By Daniel C. Vock
Management
How to prevent ideas from getting lost in translation
Policy researchers and government administrators often seem like they’re speaking different languages. A new book aims to help experts communicate more clearly, so their ideas can have real-world impacts.
- By Daniel C. Vock
Management
Sunshine Week brings attention to state efforts to overhaul open records laws
As technology renders decades-old open records policies obsolete, states look to overhaul them. It is pitting government officials against good-government groups and reporters.
- By Daniel C. Vock
Infrastructure
$3.3B in federal grants announced for communities split apart by highways
The one-time infusion of cash for highway caps, bike trails and other improvements shows the Biden administration’s priorities for one of its most high-profile infrastructure initiatives.
- By Daniel C. Vock
Infrastructure
Why is it so hard to build housing near transit stops?
Two recent studies look at the obstacles to building more apartments and other dense housing options near transit to address environmental, urban development and housing goals.
- By Daniel C. Vock
Management
School vouchers continue momentum in state legislatures
2023 was considered a landmark year for school choice. It’s a trend that is showing no sign of slowing down, as lawmakers push proposals with fewer restrictions and costly price tags.
- By Daniel C. Vock
Infrastructure
Biden administration explores using Tesla-style tech in federally funded EV chargers
Most automakers have announced plans to use the industry leader’s standards, which would give them access to Tesla’s Supercharger network.
- By Daniel C. Vock
Management
Mayors, experts discuss the solution and barriers to ending homelessness
Amid a homelessness crisis nationwide, Houston and Los Angeles have housed thousands of people under a “housing first” approach.
- By Daniel C. Vock
Infrastructure
Traffic deaths decline slightly, but remain higher than before the pandemic
Safety experts have struggled to pinpoint why traffic and pedestrian fatalities have remained so stubbornly high.
- By Daniel C. Vock
Digital Government
New toll transponders cut costs for agencies and drivers
Illinois is the latest state to roll out sticker tags, which are gaining popularity over the clunky boxes that drivers have been mounting on their windshields for decades.
- By Daniel C. Vock
Management
Governors roundly condemn Alabama ruling that effectively halts IVF
Republican leadership in the state is working on legislation that would narrow the impact of the ruling after several Alabama fertility clinics halted the procedures.
- By Daniel C. Vock
Infrastructure
As traffic fatalities remain high, states and feds meet to swap road safety ideas
The gathering marked the second anniversary of the Biden administration’s push to reduce roadway deaths. The feds also used the occasion to announce that $1.25 billion in grants is available for its Safe Streets and Roads for All program.
- By Daniel C. Vock
Infrastructure
Are the Build America rules slowing infrastructure progress?
State DOTs, transit agencies and the construction industry want the White House to make it easier to comply with rules designed to include American-made products in infrastructure projects.
- By Daniel C. Vock
Management
States look to rein in ballot initiatives with more ballot initiatives
Ballot measures in recent years have been used to expand Medicaid, preserve abortion rights and raise minimum wages. Now, state lawmakers are turning to them to put more restrictions on the process.
- By Daniel C. Vock
Infrastructure
FAA boosts airport infrastructure with nearly $1B in grants
The money, which is part of the 2021 federal infrastructure law, will help airports accommodate more passengers, make their facilities more accessible to people with disabilities and prepare for climate change.
- By Daniel C. Vock