From KCRW in Santa Monica and PRI, Public Radio International, this is To the Point.

Highways, railroads, detours, and delays.

Hello again, I'm Armin Alney, and this is To the Point from Public Radio International.

A daily look at the issues Americans care about most.

As Memorial Day kicks off another travel season, millions of Americans will find that

transportation infrastructure is on the decline.

Roads and bridges are crumbling while Congress passes short-term funding that delays long-term

repairs and construction.

New technology to increase the safety of passenger trains is likely to be

postponed despite last week's deadly derailment. As the U.S. falls behind the rest of the world,

conservatives blame government incompetence while progressives insist there's just not enough money.

Today's talking point, another oil spill, Santa Barbara, California's worst nightmare scenario.

First, here's the news.

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Hello again, we're in be back with To the Point.

America's highways and railroads were once the envy of the rest of the world,

but they've become decidedly second rate.

Meantime, Congress is deadlocked, not just overfunding the transportation system,

but what its goals should be.

...