From an e-mailed news alert....

 

12/21/2011

 

Senate Passes Tax Package Without Transit Benefits Or Alternative Fuel Tax Credits; No Vote On Measure In The House 

 

This past weekend, the Senate voted overwhelmingly (89-10) to pass a temporary, compromise bill extending the current payroll tax rate and unemployment insurance until the end of February 2012. The bill also includes language that addresses Medicare physician reimbursements (the "doc fix") and sets approval timelines related to the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline from Canada to the U.S. but, despite collective advocacy efforts, the bill does not include extensions of transit fringe benefits or the alternative fuel tax credit.

 

The House of Representatives had previously passed on December 13th a one-year extension of the current payroll tax rate and unemployment insurance benefits and the Medicare “doc-fix” which also did not include either of the transit related provisions. Yesterday, the House opted not to hold a direct, up or down, floor vote on the temporary Senate measure but rather voted (229-193) to move the Senate package immediately to a House-Senate conference. This move leaves the final disposition of the end of year tax bill unresolved. While Congress could return this year to reconcile their differences on the tax bill, it appears unlikely that they will deal with the transit commuter benefit and alternative fuel tax credit by January 1 when they expire. APTA intends to continue to work on these issues in an effort to see them extended early in 2012.

 

ACTION ALERT

 

Contact your Congressional delegations, especially members of the House Ways and Means Committee and Senate Finance Committee, and urge them to include in any future tax legislation:

 

I. An extension of the monthly maximum level of transit fringe benefits at parity with parking fringe benefits;

 

-Stress the importance of this benefit to your riders, especially in light of any recent fare increases;

-Emphasize how parity in this benefit makes both sound transportation policy and balanced tax policy.

 

II. An extension of the Alternative Fuel Tax Credit through the end of 2012;

 

-Explain how the initial capital investment and the ongoing operating costs are major considerations for transit agencies who are considering natural gas initiatives;

-Cite how important the tax credit is in the long term in justifying the front-end costs for a fueling facility and building modifications, and also the incremental costs for CNG power on each vehicle.

 

Stress to your Congressional delegation that there is still time to correct this problem. Urge them to make these provisions a priority in any negotiations over tax legislation.

 

CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVE: http://capwiz.com/napta/home/

Good op-ed piece by Ben Wickizer of the Ohio Sierra Club....

 

Demand for Ohio mass transit proves it's worth the investment: Ben Wickizer

Published: Sunday, December 25, 2011, 3:33 AM

By Plain Dealer guest columnist

 

With the recent release of quarterly ridership levels for mass transit in the United States, it seems appropriate to reflect on Ohio's transportation system relative to other states.

 

In a recent report by the American Public Transportation Association detailing ridership statistics, there were a number of highlights related to Ohio. Bus ridership in the third quarter (July-September) on the Central Ohio Transit Authority in Columbus increased by 10.8 percent from last year -- the largest increase in the country -- while Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority ridership increased by 5.2 percent. In addition, heavy rail ridership in Cleveland increased by 9.7 percent -- also the largest in the country. This quarterly increase for COTA and RTA, which is part of a larger ridership increase for the period of January-September compared with last year, indicates a growing shift in Ohio's transportation demands.

 

Full Op-Ed at: http://www.cleveland.com/opinion/index.ssf/2011/12/demand_for_ohio_mass_transit_p.html

12/29/2011 10:00:00 AM    2012 Outlook

 

AASHTO lists 'Top 10' transportation issues for 2012

 

Yesterday, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) unveiled its list of the top 10 transportation issues that will be “talked, written or tweeted about and legislated” in 2012.

 

The top 10 topics are:

 

1.  Congress enacting a long-term transportation bill. “Enactment of a bill is a significant priority for state departments of transportation as a whole,” said AASHTO Executive Director John Horsely in a prepared statement.

 

 

Raed full list at: http://www.progressiverailroading.com/prdailynews/news.asp?id=29308

Now THIS is innovative! This was posted on OKI's Facebook page.....

 

Congressman Geoff Davis

1119 Longworth House Office Building

Washington, D.C. 20515

www.geoffdavis.house.gov

For Immediate Release:                                                        Media Contact:

January 18, 2012                                                                    Armstrong Robinson

                                                                                              202-225-3465 – Office

 

Davis Introduces Innovative Regional Infrastructure Improvement Zones Bill

 

Washington, D.C. – Citing the need for improving infrastructure and job creation, Congressman Geoff Davis introduced H.R. 3780, the Regional Infrastructure Improvement Zones (RIIZs) Act today.  RIIZs would allow businesses or individuals in a community to contribute tax deductible funds towards the construction or maintenance of public infrastructure if that infrastructure is part of an approved regional plan.

 

Congressman Davis said, “Improving our failing and out of date infrastructure is imperative to our long-term economic growth.  With federal, State and local budgets already stretched thin, creative solutions are needed to maintain and improve our infrastructure.  RIIZs are a local and regional tool to incentivize private sector investment, move infrastructure projects forward and enable additional job creation.”

 

“We commend Congressman Davis for his leadership in the introduction of the RIIZ legislation,” said Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments (OKI) Board President Edwin Humphrey.  “RIIZs represent a remarkably innovative financing measure that will assist local and regional entities in meeting their growing infrastructure needs.”

 

"This commonsense legislation supports much needed investment in local infrastructure through a grassroots effort that upholds proven processes, reinforces local decision-making, underscores the benefits of regional planning, and engages the public and the business community," said Mayor Ron Morrison, National City, CA and President, National Association of Regional Councils.  "We thank Congressman Davis for his commitment to improving the safety, economy and future for urban and rural communities alike and look forward to ensuring RIIZs are an available tool for local governments."

 

Background:

Businesses and/or individuals who want to form a RIIZ would apply through their local multi-jurisdiction regional planning organization.  The regional planning organization would then determine if the investment fits within the region’s plans and has the support of local governments and stakeholders.  The planning organization would issue a certificate of approval to be filed with the State’s Attorney General and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).  After these steps, individuals and businesses could begin contributing tax deductible funds to approved projects within the RIIZ.

 

Infrastructure projects would be eligible under a RIIZ as long as they are on the approved comprehensive regional plan, go through the public approval process, and enhance the infrastructure system of the area.  RIIZs would not cover operating expenses related to infrastructure.  Eligible projects could include, but are not limited to: highways, roadway bridges, and public transit, as well as drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater treatment facilities.

^But why should any private owner pay for infrastructure when the government gives it away for free? Is this just another tax gimmick, like a TIF district or enterprize zone?

Because the government isn't able to afford to build it any more. This is for new construction.

http://www.theatlanticcities.com/design/2012/01/new-generation-health-problems-caused-sprawl/1010/

 

Documenting the New Generation of Health Problems Caused by Sprawl

A provocative new 4-hour series soon to air on public television, Designing Healthy Communities, examines the impact of our built environment on key public health indices, including obesity, diabetes, heart disease, asthma, cancer and depression. The series documents the connection between bad community design and burgeoning health consequences, and discusses the remedies available to fix what has become an urgent crisis.

The series documents the connection between bad community design and burgeoning health consequences, and discusses the remedies available to fix what has become an urgent crisis.

 

It's called WALKING!!! And if you can't walk anywhere from your home, MOVE!!!

The series documents the connection between bad community design and burgeoning health consequences, and discusses the remedies available to fix what has become an urgent crisis.

 

It's called WALKING!!! And if you can't walk anywhere from your home, MOVE!!!

 

Why would you walk when you can DRIVE. This is OHIO, son!  :-D

"And if you can't walk anywhere from your home, MOVE!"

 

You make it sound so simple. If I could find a place to live that was within walking distance of my job, shopping, family, entertainment, etc., and also had low crime, good schools, etc., then the choice would be easy.

 

A lot of folks weigh all the options and choose to drive because it works for them, even though that they don't particularly like driving. The reality is that there are very few truly walkable places in Ohio.

I’ll match your alleged “infrastructure investments” against my so-called rail subsidies

Written by  Larry Kaufman

 

Our Washington politicians make a side show of the periodic battle over how much we should be spending on transportation infrastructure, and how we should pay for it. An example is the seemingly serious semantic debate whether we are investing in or subsidizing the infrastructure. Congress is quite adept at wasting time debating what to call the surface transportation program rather than doing the real work of encouraging economic growth.

 

America has a transportation network that is the envy of the world. On the ground, that includes highways, railroads, and inland navigable waterways. But infrastructure wears out over time, and the U.S. has reached a point where much of its interstate highway mileage is in need of significant maintenance. Independent studies also show a need to construct new highway lanes to handle growing demand for transportation.

 

Waterways are in much the same situation, perhaps more so. Many locks and dams are half a century old and are not able to handle the amount of traffic for which they were designed. Many should not have been built in the first place, but that is a subject for a future essay.

 

Read full op-ed at: http://www.railwayage.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=784:i’ll-match-your-alleged-“infrastructure-investments”-against-my-so-called-rail-subsidies

The reality is that there are very few truly walkable places in Ohio.

 

There's more than I think you are acknowledging, but many young people who grew up in suburban/exurban Ohio and think only of Ohio's urban, walkable neighborhoods as scary places, seem to think as you do. And so they leave....

 

If I could find a place to live that was within walking distance of my job, shopping, family, entertainment, etc., and also had low crime, good schools, etc., then the choice would be easy.

 

It's not a "good school" for your kids if it requires jumping through a million hoops every day just to get them to and from it, no matter what the ratings say.

I think there are plenty of neighborhoods that will get you nearly the entire list except for the job. Employment is too decentralized, but there are a ton of those walkable, livable urban neighborhoods all over Ohio.

I think there are plenty of neighborhoods that will get you nearly the entire list except for the job. Employment is too decentralized, but there are a ton of those walkable, livable urban neighborhoods all over Ohio.

 

Yes, and many of them are a one-seat bus ride from regional job centers.

Who voted for these guys?

 

Long-term transportation funding likely to be delayed

 

With Congress riven by partisan politics and facing a truncated election-year schedule, the chances are slim that it will pass a long-awaited bill to fund the nation’s highways, mass transit and ports, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said Wednesday.

 

LaHood’s gloomy forecast came two days before House Republicans are expected to begin circulating their five-year transportation blueprint, a $260 billion bill that may be introduced as early as next week.

 

In spanning five years, the House proposal already is at odds with a two-year Senate plan that cleared a committee last year. ...

 

“I believe we’ll probably have to wait until next year to get to a surface transportation bill because of the huge differences,” LaHood told a conference of transportation experts meeting in Washington. “Given the politics, the number of days that remain, the differences between what the Senate and the House are looking at, I think it’s very unlikely that we’ll have a surface transportation bill during this year.”

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/long-term-transportation-funding-likely-to-be-delayed/2012/01/25/gIQAvbkeRQ_story.html

January 25, 2012

LaHood: Streamline major transit awards, cut red tape

 

During his State of the Union Address, President Obama called on federal agencies to cut red tape in construction projects. Accepting that challenge, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood proposed a significant change in the way major transit projects compete for federal funds by streamlining the process and making decisions more responsive to local needs.

 

"This proposal would move more job-generating bus, rail and ferry projects from the drawing boards into construction sooner and with less red tape along the way," said Secretary LaHood. "President Obama has asked government agencies to cut red tape, eliminate waste and streamline bureaucracy wherever possible, and that's exactly what we're doing."

 

....Other benefits from the changes would include increased transparency and continued rigorous scrutiny of each project proposal. By giving greater emphasis to evaluation criteria concerning environmental benefits and local economic impact, it would be possible for FTA to consider a variety of smaller-scale projects that might better meet a community's needs, including streetcars and rapid bus services.

 

READ MORE AT:

http://www.metro-magazine.com/News/Story/2012/01/LaHood-Streamline-major-transit-awards-cut-red-tape.aspx?ref=Express-Thursday-20120126&utm_source=Email&utm_medium=Enewsletter

I'm posting this here because of the national implications of the content of this article....

 

Phoenix-area bus, light-rail use up, reflects U.S. trend

by Sean Holstege - Jan. 26, 2012 10:39 PM

The Republic | azcentral.com

 

Valley bus and rail passengers are riding in nearly record numbers despite a persistently bad economy, a string of service cuts and a sharp fare increase.

 

The increasing ridership reflects a national trend that is forcing transit planners to rethink basic assumptions about the reasons people either ride buses and trains or stop using them. Ridership is up nationally, and few places saw faster growth last year than the Phoenix area.

 

.....But a recent survey of riders, and what Ketcherside has gleaned from customer comments, suggests one answer: People are more willing to use transit. The American Public Transportation Association agrees, saying changing demographics, shifting habits and technological innovations are steering more people onto buses and trains.

 

READ MORE AT:

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/2012/01/17/20120117phoenix-area-bus-light-rail-use-up-reflects-us-trend.html

More......  This awful bill just passed the US House in the past hour and along party lines with only two GOP votes against. Read more at:

 

http://thehill.com/blogs/transportation-report/railroads/208475-house-blocks-highway-bill-money-from-going-to-high-speed-rail

 

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0212/72369.html

 

How can something increase from $33 billion to $98 billion in just a couple of years. Either we need non profit companies building these infrastructure projects or Someone needs to some how reduce these costs. We might have to higher 10,000's of Chinese workers to build these things for us.

Transit Tax Switch to Roads Passed by U.S. House PanelFebruary 03, 2012, 5:30 PM EST

By Lisa Caruso

 

Feb. 3 (Bloomberg) -- A U.S. House committee voted to stop letting gasoline-tax revenue be used for mass-transit projects, over opposition from groups including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.

 

The Ways and Means Committee today voted 20-17 for a proposal to stop devoting 2.86 cents of the 18.4-cent gasoline tax paid by U.S. motorists to public transportation. The money would instead go toward keeping a U.S. account for road and bridge construction solvent.

 

The bill also would finance highway and bridge construction with revenue from expanded oil and natural-gas drilling on government land and offshore. The committee, before approving the bill, rejected an attempt by Democrats to strike the gasoline-tax provision.

 

“This is a dead end; this can’t pass” the Republican- controlled House, said Representative Sander Levin of Michigan, the panel’s ranking Democrat.

 

Read more at: http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-02-03/transit-tax-switch-to-roads-passed-by-u-s-house-panel.html

So the House GOPers first take away the transit tax-deduction benefit but keep it in place for commuting by car, and now they want to take away dedicated federal funding for transit and give it all to roads. To make ends meet, the poor and working class should give up their homes, go buy cars and move right in. Gives new meaning to the term "mobile home".....

This article is nothing but a plot by the great left-wing media conspiracy! Now go get me my oil exploration tax credits, more federal highways and Medicare!

 

Activists Fight Green Projects, Seeing U.N. Plot

By LESLIE KAUFMAN and KATE ZERNIKE

Published: February 3, 2012

 

Across the country, activists with ties to the Tea Party are railing against all sorts of local and state efforts to control sprawl and conserve energy. They brand government action for things like expanding public transportation routes and preserving open space as part of a United Nations-led conspiracy to deny property rights and herd citizens toward cities.

 

They are showing up at planning meetings to denounce bike lanes on public streets and smart meters on home appliances — efforts they equate to a big-government blueprint against individual rights.

 

“Down the road, this data will be used against you,” warned one speaker at a recent Roanoke County, Va., Board of Supervisors meeting who turned out with dozens of people opposed to the county’s paying $1,200 in dues to a nonprofit that consults on sustainability issues.

 

Local officials say they would dismiss such notions except that the growing and often heated protests are having an effect.

 

READ MORE AT:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/04/us/activists-fight-green-projects-seeing-un-plot.html

Why Does Our Infrastructure Resemble a Third World Country’s?

One explanation may be our budgeting process.

 

BY: ALEX MARSHALL | FEBRUARY 2012

 

Take a look around your community and I bet you’ll see pothole-filled roads, rusting bridges and decaying train stations. It is rare, rather than the rule, to see unblemished asphalt, gleaming railings and bright platforms. Yet we are, by all estimates, one of the richest societies in the world. What gives?

 

First of all, although my evidence is largely anecdotal, I have no doubt that the state of affairs I describe above is true. Americans traveling to other developed countries notice the difference, as do foreigners when they come here.

 

A German graduate student once told me he was amazed at the poor roads, sidewalks and other features in Cambridge, Mass., where we were both living and studying at the time.

 

“It looks like a third-world country here,” he said. “Apparently, no one cares.”

 

READ MORE AT:

http://www.governing.com/columns/eco-engines/gov-why-does-our-infrastructure-resemble-third-world.html

Well worth reading and sharing......

 

MONDAY, FEB 13, 2012 1:00 PM EASTERN STANDARD TIME

The Tea Party’s war on mass transit

House Republicans try to gut federal funds for subways as they extend the culture wars to urban policy issues

 

In the week since House Republicans introduced their proposed transportation bill, one thing has become clear: It has virtually nothing to do with fiscal responsibility.

 

The Tea Party soared to power on the notion that it was the antidote to wasteful government spending. It’s now clear that reigniting the culture wars was a top priority, too. From guns to abortion, the extremist wing of the Republican Party has fought to turn back the clock on many socially progressive ideals.

 

Mass transit is its newest target.

 

“Federal transportation and infrastructure policy has traditionally been an area of strong bipartisan agreement,” says Aaron Naparstek, a Loeb Fellow at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design and founder of Streetsblog.org. “Now, it seems, Republicans want to turn cities into a part of the culture wars. Now it’s abortion, gay marriage and subways.”

 

READ MORE AT:

http://www.salon.com/2012/02/13/the_tea_partys_war_on_mass_transit/

http://www.riderta.com/newsroom/releases/?listingid=1700

 

February 13, 2012

 

Rep. LaTourette and others fight to keep transit funding

 

CLEVELAND -- Joe Calabrese, the CEO and General Manager of The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA) salutes U.S. Representative Steven LaTourettte and his colleagues in their efforts to protect public transportation.

 

Efforts currently underway in Congress suggest eliminating dedicated funding for public transit. LaTourette, and his colleagues Jerold Nadler, Earl Blumenauer, Chris Gibson, Joseph Crowley, Robert Turner, Charles B. Rangel and Michael Grimm, submitted their ammendment to HR 7, urging Congress to preserve dedicated transit funding.

 

Here is their proposal:

 

PROTECT PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION FUNDING IN HR 7

Support the Nadler-LaTourette-Blumenauer Amendment to Restore Federally Guaranteed Transit Funding

 

Dear Colleague:

 

When the House considers the “American Energy & Infrastructure Jobs Act of 2012” (HR 7), we intend to offer an amendment to restore dedicated, guaranteed funding for public transportation programs.

 

HR 7 makes drastic changes to the way transit is funded in the surface transportation authorization bill. Our amendment eliminates these changes and restores a permanent funding mechanism for mass transit.

 

Since 1983, when the Surface Transportation Assistance Act was signed into law, 2.86 cents in motor fuels taxes has been deposited into the Mass Transit Account of the Highway Trust Fund to provide a dedicated stable source of funding for public transportation programs.

 

HR 7 eliminates the Mass Transit Account and dedicates that 2.86 cents to highway programs. The bill moves transit and other public transportation programs into a new “Alternative Transportation Fund,” which would be dependent on appropriations from general revenue.

 

Although the bill makes a one-time transfer of $40 billion into the Alternative Transportation Fund to cover funding for those programs through the life of the bill, there is no guarantee for public transportation funding beyond FY 2016. Such a reality would make it difficult, if not impossible, for transit agencies to develop reliable long-term capital plans, and it would leave the future of the program in doubt.

 

Public transportation agencies around the country are already struggling to maintain current levels of service and keep the system in a state of good repair.

 

Removing federally guaranteed funding could result in a virtual construction and service freeze, the effects of which would be felt by riders, businesses, contractors, manufacturers and suppliers around the country.

 

Transit agencies may have to take on more debt in order to finance capital projects, and it could result in increased fares for our constituents.

 

There is no reason to make such a drastic change in how we finance public transportation.

 

Our amendment would restore the Mass Transit Account of the Highway Trust Fund and the 2.86 cents dedicated funding stream for public transportation programs. It would eliminate the Alternative Trust Fund, make the Highway Trust Fund whole, and allow it to once again fund both highways and mass transit.

 

Our amendment conforms to 30 years of federal law. It is a simple, common-sense measure to restore the status quo. We urge you to support it.

 

If you have any questions, please contact Lisette Morton w/Rep. Nadler ([email protected] or 5-5635), John Miceli w/Rep. LaTourette ([email protected] or 55731), or Tyler Frisbee w/Rep. Blumenauer ([email protected] or 5-4811).

 

Sincerely,

 

 

JERROLD NADLER                        STEVEN C. LATOURETTE                        EARL BLUMENAUER

Member of Congress                            Member of Congress                            Member of Congress

 

CHRIS GIBSON                              ROBERT TURNER                                      CHARLES RANGEL

Member of Congress                    Member of Congress                                    Member of Congress

 

JOSEPH CROWLEY                      MICHAEL GRIMM

Member of Congress                  Member of Congress

Many people throughout the USA are watching this development very closely.......

 

Missouri Senate panel hears mixed views on I-70 tolls

BY KEN LEISER • [email protected] > 314-340-8215 | Posted: Thursday, February 23, 2012 12:00 am

 

JEFFERSON CITY • Missouri's transportation chief on Wednesday told a Senate panel that rebuilding Interstate 70 with tolls would fix just one of Missouri's most pressing highway needs at a time when highway funds plummet.

 

"This allows us to do a project," said Missouri Department of Transportation Director Kevin Keith. "That's it."

 

Keith was the first to testify during the first Senate Transportation Committee hearing on a bill that would permit tolls on I-70. The project would be undertaken by a private consortium. Private companies would finance, rebuild and operate the highway.

 

Tolls would repay the reconstruction and ongoing upkeep of I-70.

 

Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/missouri-senate-panel-hears-mixed-views-on-i--tolls/article_5bbf9d99-b043-5b18-b35d-4ef4a7008501.html#ixzz1ntvLYzMx

Transportation Advocates Put Support Behind Gas Tax For Public Transit

 

With Chicago-area gas prices pushing the $4 mark and pending federal legislation that would slash millions of dollars in funding for local public transit, a group of city transportation advocates is calling for more funding and improved services.

 

Riders for Better Transit and the Active Transportation Alliance held a press conference Wednesday morning at Pritzker Park near the Jackson Red Line station at Van Buren and State Streets. The group is throwing its support behind the Transit Fast Forward Bill, which would add a tax of two-fifths of a cent per gallon of gas to the six Illinois counties served by the CTA, Metra, and Pace systems.

 

In a press release the group said the money raised by the tax will help reduce future fare increases and provide funding to rebuild Chicago’s aging public transit infrastructure.

 

Advocates like Ron Burke, executive director of the Active Transportation Alliance, said the added tax, which would increase the average family’s spending on gas by about $4 a year, would generate about $11.6 million for transit in 2013.

 

Read more at: http://progressillinois.com/quick-hits/content/2012/02/29/transportation-advocates-put-support-behind-gas-tax-public-transit

More band-aids from Congress when this nation mosts needs a comprehensive transportation policy.

 

House to introduce three-month highway bill extension

By Keith Laing - 03/21/12 01:07 PM ET

 

The House of Representatives will vote on a three-month extension of highway funding that will extend transportation programs in the United States until June 30.

 

The announcement comes after House leaders shunned the idea of holding a vote on a two-year, $109 billion plan that was approved in a bipartisan vote by the Senate last week. It represents a clear defeat for Speaker John Boehner's (R-Ohio) goal of passing a multi-year bill early in this election year.

 

But House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman John Mica (R-Fla.) said a three-month extension would "ensure continuity of current programs while … House Republicans continue to work toward a responsible transportation bill that provides long-term certainty, reduces the size of government, eliminates earmarks, and is fully paid for."

 

Mica made clear the House has no plans to take up the Senate version.

 

Read more at: http://thehill.com/blogs/transportation-report/highways-bridges-and-roads/217315-house-to-introduce-three-month-highway-bill-extension

MAP-21 makes several key reforms:

 

    For the first time, establishes national policy goals and performance measures for the federal surface transportation program, such as addressing congestion, improving access to multiple travel options, supporting domestic manufacturing and reducing impacts on the environment and adjacent communities;

    Consolidates programs and streamlines project delivery, while maintaining existing funding levels;

    Holds states accountable for the safe upkeep of our roads and bridges;

    Maintains local control over a share of funds and ensures access to funding for safer walking and bicycling;

    Includes emergency provisions to allow transit agencies to avoid service cuts and fare hikes;

    Extends the commuter benefit for transit users, commensurate with parking benefits for drivers;

    Helps communities make plans to meet the growing demand for walkable neighborhoods with access to jobs, services and public transportation;

    Ensures that federal funds support streets that are safe and complete for everyone who uses them, whether motorists, pedestrians, bicyclists, wheelchair users or transit riders.

 

 

comparison between senate and House

 

http://t4america.org/blog/2012/03/15/comparing-the-senate-and-house-transportation-bills-side-by-side/

 

March 15, 2012

By Stephen Lee Davis

 

With the Senate having already approved their transportation bill and the House’s proposal languishing, we thought it might be useful to share this detailed analysis and side-by-side comparison of the two bills. We’ve included links to past blog posts and statements about the various provisions of the two bills so that you can have all related materials in one place.

 

A word of warning: this is for those that want to go a little deeper into the specific policies and differences between the two bills. It’s long and fairly wonky.

National Goals & Performance Measures

 

Senate: The Commerce Committee title establishes national transportation goals and performance measures. It requires states and metro areas to use performance measures in long-range planning and short-term programming processes. It explicitly covers key indicators such as congestion, road condition, reducing environmental impacts, improving the reliability of freight movement, increasing access to transit, and reducing traffic fatalities across all modes.

 

House: It contains no comprehensive national goals. It requires US DOT to establish a qualitative “national goal” but the intent is unclear. Requires states to establish performance measures for a broad set of target areas.

 

State of Good Repair

 

Senate: The Senate bill has strong repair provisions. 60% of the funds in the newly-consolidated highway program are required to be spent on repairing roads and bridges. (Click to enlarge this helpful chart at right — the new consolidated program is at the top right.) It also requires DOT to establish minimum condition levels for roads and bridges and includes penalties for states for not meeting them.

 

Repairing other non-National Highway System bridges are eligible under the flexible 40% pot of funding — the second blue box from the top on the graphic. States must establish targets for infrastructure condition. (Read this post from our blog for more about repair: A closer look at the Senate’s

MAP-21: state of good repair.)

 

House: The House’s newly-consolidated highway program requires reporting on progress towards state of good repair by states but without similar fixed requirements for spending on repair. There are penalties if a State’s National Highway System or other bridges are very bad (10% of NHS bridge deck area structurally deficient or 15% of off-system bridges are structurally deficient).

 

Possible House amendment fix:  Boswell 116 establishes minimum standards for National Highway System bridges and requires funds to be spent on bridge repair unless states meet those levels. Boswell 117 requires states with a significant number of federal-aid bridges to spend funds on repairing them.

 

Planning & Suballocation

 

Senate: Ties planning to performance-oriented goals and defines scenario planning. Divides metropolitan area planning organizations into tiers according to size. The amount of federal transportation funds given directly to metro areas is roughly equivalent to what they receive under current law, though the actual percentage has decreased.

 

House: Like the Senate bill, suballocated funds are roughly equivalent though the actual percentage has decreased. The above-mentioned penalties for not meeting minimum bridge requirements could reduce the funds available for metro areas. This bill also allows states (and the Governor) to override local planning decisions for projects on interstates. (See #3 in our list of top ten provisions being opposed in the House bill.)

 

Possible House amendment fix: Nadler 25 would restore the ability of metro regions to develop a transportation plan that meets their community needs without unilateral amendment by the Governor, addressing part of that #3 from our top ten list.

 

Public transportation & transit-oriented development

 

Senate: Continues dedicated funding for public transportation at traditional 20 percent share. Creates some new flexibility to spend federal funds on operations, i.e., keeping buses and trains running, not just buying new equipment. A new transit-oriented development planning program was incorporated into the bill via the Banking title.

House: Original bill ends 30 years of dedicated funding for public transit — read the letter we organized by more than 600 groups and individuals in opposition. Allows loans for transit-oriented development as an eligible expense under the TIFIA loan program. It doesn’t provide large transit operators with any flexibility to spend federal money on operating their transit systems. There’s also a provision to restrict any transit agency that operates a rail system from being eligible for grants that help build bus systems and bus facilities — resulting in unnecessary bureaucracy as large transit agencies split into two agencies to continue receiving those grants.

 

Read more about that provision in our recent post: Fixing the House Bill: cutting regulatory burdens and bureaucracy.

 

Possible House amendment fix:  LaTourette/Carnahan 16 would allow all transit agencies to use a portion of their federal transit funding for operating expenses during times of economic crisis. (This amendment is similar to this bill the two representatives offered back in 2011.)

Walking and bicycling, local control of funds

 

Senate: Due in part to this amendment offered by Senators Cardin and Cochran and incorporated into the bill, MAP-21 consolidates programs for making biking and walking safer (as well as for other small local projects) and gives 50 percent of this consolidated program directly to metro areas. States and metro areas must create a competitive grant process to distribute that funding to local communities that apply. The Commerce Committee title also includes a new Complete Streets provision.

 

House: Eliminates most dedicated funding for bicycling & walking. Those uses remain “eligible” but without any dedicated funding for them. The bill also deletes numerous references throughout the bill that encourage multimodal projects. The bill retains the Recreational Trails program.

 

Possible House amendment fix: Petri-Blumenauer 103 creates consolidated program for bike/ped and other local projects and provides local governments access to new consolidated pot of funding.

Rural Issues

 

Senate: Ensures rural roads are properly considered for safety projects. Provides flexibility to invest in street networks. Consolidates rural and specialized transit programs to ensure that service is better coordinated.

 

House: Ensures rural roads are properly considered for safety projects. Consolidates rural and specialized transit programs.

Congestion and Air Quality

 

Senate: Retains the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality program but with a new focus on PM2.5 (particulate matter 2.5: diesel emissions). Air quality is not included in new statewide planning goals.

 

House: Moves CMAQ program into the Alternative Transit Account. Allows construction of single occupant vehicle projects with funds. (Read more about this provision in our blog post: Fixing the House bill: reducing air pollution by providing more travel options)

 

Possible House amendment fix:  Ellison 97/Blumenauer 191 restores CMAQ program to original intent.

Workforce Development

 

Senate: Requires urban transit agencies to spend a portion of their funds on workforce development activities.

 

House: No new workforce development provisions.

Passenger Rail

 

Senate: Requires National, Regional and State comprehensive passenger and freight rail plans, including a Northeast corridor high speed rail plan. Includes Amtrak authorization language and adds eligibility for other high speed rail projects.

 

House: Includes Amtrak authorization language but with a 20-25% cut in operating funds for Amtrak. No high speed rail funding.

Freight

 

Senate: Establishes a new national freight program and new national freight strategic plan. Read more about the FREIGHT Act that was incorporated into MAP-21. Allows up to 10 percent of highway freight program and 5 percent of flexible Transportation Mobility Program funds to be spent on rail. States and regions must establish performance targets for freight movement.

 

House:  No new freight program. Encourages States to form freight plans tied to achieving broad goals. Read more about the freight provisions in the second half of our recent post: Fixing the House Bill: cutting regulatory burdens and bureaucracy.

From The American Conservative's Center for Public Transportation:

"We at The American Conservative Center for Public Transportation believe that our dependence on foreign oil is a continuing major risk that imperils our national security and ultimately our economy. Transit, especially rail transit, can provide the mobility alternatives that we need to help reduce our reliance on foreign oil."

&

"All of our institutions are geared to an era that was designed for a different set of circumstances that mainly relied on cheap domestic oil. That day is over. We need to realize it and embrace a future that recognizes that fact. That future must include public transportation, especially rail."

 

http://www.theamericanconservative.com/cpt/2012/03/06/our-view-on-the-price-of-oil/

 

A very good discussion about the lack of a long-term Federal Transportation Bill from WOSU's "All Sides" show....

 

April 3, 2012 — 10:00 am

Future of Transportation Funding in Ohio and the Nation

 

Congress, among rising gas prices and transportation funding declines, has been unable to pass a 5 or 6 year Federal Transportation Bill that could open up more options and perhaps bring more predictability to the funding of how we move people and goods. How is the lack of a long-term bill having an impact?

 

Listen to the full hour at: http://beta.wosu.org/allsides/future-of-transportation-funding-in-ohio-and-the-nation/

 

 

 

 

 

Bloomberg

OP-EDS

 

Why Does U.S. Build Roads If It Can’t Pay to Fix Them?

 

By Alex Marshall Apr 5, 2012

 

A number of years ago in Cambridge, Massachusetts, a young friend from Germany turned to me and commented on the potholed and patched streets that surrounded us, as well as the uneven sidewalks and assorted other rough edges.

 

“It looks like a Third World country here,” he said. “Apparently no one cares.” To him, it was amazing that the wealthy and well-educated residents of Cambridge would tolerate such a poor public environment.

 

Yet in the U.S. this is more the rule than the exception. Many cities, of course, are in much worse shape than Cambridge .

 

Last week, Congress approved an emergency stopgap transportation-spending bill, which will give the House and Senate more time to argue over the shape and size of a long-term transportation bill. Although these debates are important, they distract from the reality on the ground, which is that much of our common infrastructure is falling apart from lack of basic maintenance.

 

Read more at: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-04-05/why-does-u-s-build-roads-if-it-can-t-pay-to-fix-them-.html

 

http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?llr=9v4zoegab&v=0019vIjpnfVUZ9qvvm8b622AJeoaXeCFfaadWKKXOwbbaSqQ2a2PeYXQp2cx41960xalkV3JTQRcwQ5n3iT1jdCHwLPrfD04-vSMmZ3j0nyuaYS9Wj03WgPsQ%3D%3D

 

Senate Appropriations Subcommittee Completes Markup on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations (THUD) Bill 

 

Senate Panel Approves $100 million for "High Performance" Passenger Rail Grants in fiscal year 2013 USDOT Spending Bill

 

Washington, D.C. - On Tuesday, April 17, 2012, the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies (THUD) approved a $53.4 billion appropriations bill funding investments in the nation's roads, bridges, rail and transit systems, and airports, as well as housing assistance for low-income families and veterans. 

 

The American High Speed Rail Alliance (AHSRA) is pleased that $100 million is included for a "high performance" passenger rail grant program for states, in addition to funding for Amtrak, the TIGER program and the New Starts program.

 

Highlights of the bill include:

 

+ $1.75 billion for the nation's rail infrastructure.  Of the total amount provided, $100 million is for the High Performance Passenger Rail grant program to assist states with the improvement of existing intercity services, congestion mitigation and multi-state planning initiatives and $1.45 billion is for Amtrak.

+ $2.044 billion, $89 million above the fiscal year 2012 enacted level, for the Federal Transit Administration's "New Starts" program. This funding supports projects that will provide new or expanded public transportation services.

+ $500 million for the TIGER grant program to support significant transportation projects in a wide variety of modes, including highways and bridges, public transportation, passenger and freight railroads, and port infrastructure. The funding level included in the bill is equal to the fiscal year 2012 enacted level.

 

The bill now heads to the full Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday, April 19, 2012 for further review.  The House Appropriations Committee has yet to act on the fiscal year 2013 THUD appropriations bill.

 

For more information, click here: http://library.constantcontact.com/download/get/file/1106103828154-81/04_17_12_THUD+Markup+Summary+(3).pdf

This must mean the House leadership wants either a gas tax increase, or maybe they think private enterprise is going to suddenly step in and start buying and building roads and transit from the government. Without transportation, our cities, our industries, our economy would grind to a halt....

 

__________

 

http://www.congressmerge.com/onlinedb/

 

Dangerous Cuts

 

The House will vote tonight on a Motion to Instruct Conferees “to insist on provisions that limit funding for Federal highway and transit programs to levels that can be supported by Highway Trust Fund revenues, without transfers from the general fund of the Treasury or other sources.”  The surface transportation bill (MAP-21) currently in conference committee is a 2-year bill that provides approximately $50 billion annually for federal transportation programs. The motion to instruct amounts to a 25% decrease overall or a bill of approximately $38 billion annually.

 

Your immediate action is needed to stop the passage of this motion in tonight’s House session. Contact your Member of Congress and tell him/her to vote “no” on the motion to instruct.

 

A vote to cut transportation spending means a vote to cut jobs!

 

 

Millions of Jobs

Insiders on the Hill indicate that the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Sub-Committee (THUD) of the House Appropriations Committee is planning to mark-up the FY 2013 THUD bill next week. The sub-committee has yet to release the details of the bill or mark-up, but if the FY 2013 House budget is an indicator of their intent, transportation spending is at risk for more cuts. The FY 2013 House budget—referred to as a “reconciliation budget” and crafted by Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI)—passed the House two weeks ago on a vote of 218-199 and reduced transportation program spending by approximately 25%.

 

The transportation sector accounts for more than 10% of the U.S. Gross Domestic Product (or more than $1 trillion) and results in millions of jobs. At a time when the jobless rate in many of our states exceeds 8% (and is double-digits for African-American men), cuts in transportation spending—especially public transit—are unacceptable.

 

It’s time for Congress to get serious about job creation and economic recovery.

 

Call your Member of Congress today and tell him/her to maintain current transportation and public transit spending levels in the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations bill. The health and vitality of our communities and our nation depends on it.

Well, we do have a problem (as noted above) with building new infrastructure (mostly more and more lane-miles of roadway) that we cannot afford to maintain.  So on that front, paying more attention to what we're buying with those federal transportation dollars is important.  But while I would welcome increased scrutiny and better decision-making, I don't think an across-the-board cut to transportation funding makes any sense.  In my opinion, Congress has its priorities all wrong when they don't want to spend $50 billion for transportation but complain about planned cuts to the $1 trillion military budget, particularly when (a) Congress already agreed to cut the Defense budget, and (b) the Defense Department says those cuts are manageable!

 

I would also argue in favor of making the gas tax a % tax rather than a flat rate, and increasing the tax above the current % rate, so that revenues will more closely follow petroleum prices.  This is particularly important when it is petroleum products that are used to build and maintain the roads, so if the price goes up maintenance costs also go up.

In my opinion, Congress has its priorities all wrong when they don't want to spend $50 billion for transportation but complain about planned cuts to the $1 trillion military budget, particularly when (a) Congress already agreed to cut the Defense budget, and (b) the Defense Department says those cuts are manageable!

 

That's putting it mildly!

 

When Congress tries to halt transportation spending to hurt the economy to hurt the incumbent president's re-election chance, I think that borders on treason. I don't care who the president is or will be. Congress was elected to promote the general welfare of the nation, not the general welfare of a political party. If this is what Democracy has come to, then perhaps it's time to get rid of political parties as a form of anti-competitive, collusive business practice.

KJP -- what do you know about the Steel Interstate Coalition:

http://steelinterstate.org/

 

I like the phrase "steel interstate system."

 

 

They've been trying to get All Aboard Ohio to be more active with them, which usually means we end up doing more work but get no new funding for our troubles. But I still added our name as a supporter of what they're doing, which is worthwhile.

BREAKING NEWS

 

June 21, 2012

Boxer, Mica: Goal is to complete authorization package by next week

 

Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee, and Rep. John L. Mica (R-FL), Chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, issued the following statement regarding the surface transportation bill conference:

 

"The conferees have moved forward toward a bipartisan, bicameral agreement on a highway reauthorization bill. Both House and Senate conferees will continue to work with a goal of completing a package by next week."           

 

Consensus on a transportation authorization bill has been stalled since SAFETEA-LU expired in September 2009, with the both the House and Senate releasing and

 

READ MORE AT:

http://www.metro-magazine.com/News/Story/2012/06/Boxer-Mica-Goal-is-to-complete-authorization-package-by-next-week.aspx?ref=MET-BreakingNews-20120621&utm_source=Email&utm_medium=Enewsletter

HERE'S THE OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT.....

 

FINAL LIST:

http://www.dot.gov/tiger/fy2012tiger.pdf

 

 

http://www.dot.gov/affairs/2012/dot6812a.html

 

Friday, June 22, 2012

U.S. Transportation Secretary LaHood Announces Funding for 47 TIGER 2012 Projects as Overwhelming Demand for TIGER Dollars Continues

 

WASHINGTON – U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today announced that 47 transportation projects in 34 states and the District of Columbia will receive a total of almost $500 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) 2012 program.

 

“President Obama’s support for an America built to last is putting people back to work across the country building roads, bridges and other projects that will mean better, safer transportation for generations to come,” said Secretary LaHood. “TIGER projects mean good transportation jobs today and a stronger economic future for the nation.”

 

The TIGER program is a highly competitive program that is able to fund innovative projects difficult or impossible to fund through other federal programs. In many cases, these grants will serve as the final piece of funding for infrastructure investments totaling $1.7 billion in overall project costs. These federal funds are being leveraged with money from private sector partners, states, local governments, metropolitan planning organizations and transit agencies.

 

TIGER has enjoyed overwhelming demand since its creation, a trend continued by TIGER 2012. Applications for this most recent round of grants totaled $10.2 billion, far exceeding the $500 million set aside for the program. In all, the Department received 703 applications from all 50 states, U.S. territories and the District of Columbia.

 

The grants will fund a wide range of innovative transportation projects in urban and rural areas across the country:

 

• Of the $500 million in TIGER 2012 funds available for grants, more than $120 million will go to critical projects in rural areas.

 

• Roughly 35 percent of the funding will go to road and bridge projects, including more than $30 million for the replacement of rural roads and bridges that need improvements to address safety and state of good repair deficiencies.

 

• 16 percent of the funding will support transit projects like the Wave Streetcar Project in Fort Lauderdale.

 

• 13 percent of the funding will support high-speed and intercity passenger rail projects like the Raleigh Union Station Project in North Carolina.

 

• 12 percent will go to freight rail projects, including elements of the CREATE (Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency) program to reduce freight rail congestion in Chicago.

 

• 12 percent will go to multimodal, bicycle and pedestrian projects like the Main Street to Main Street Multimodal Corridor project connecting Memphis and West Memphis.

 

• 12 percent will help build port projects like the Outer Harbor Intermodal Terminal at the Port of Oakland.

 

• Three grants were also directed to tribal governments to create jobs and address critical transportation needs in Indian country.

 

TIGER projects will also improve accessibility for people with disabilities to health care, education and employment opportunities.

 

Over the next six months, 27 projects are expected to break ground from the previous three rounds of TIGER. In addition, work is under way on 64 capital projects across the country.

 

On November 18, 2011, the President signed the FY 2012 Appropriations Act, which provided $500 million for Department of Transportation national infrastructure investments. Like the first three rounds, TIGER 2012 grants are for capital investments in surface transportation infrastructure and are awarded on a competitive basis. This is the fourth round of TIGER funding.

 

Under all four rounds combined, the TIGER program has provided $3.1 billion to 218 projects in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Demand for the program has been overwhelming, and during all four rounds, the Department of Transportation received more than 4,050 applications requesting more than $105.2 billion for transportation projects across the country.

 

The fiscal year 2013 appropriations bill currently under consideration in the U.S. Senate provides $500 million for a future round of TIGER grants.

 

Click here for additional information on individual TIGER grants http://www.dot.gov/tiger/fy2012tiger.pdf

 

###

Contact: DOT Press Office •  Tel: (202) 366-4570

It's strange to see the words Bronx and Pickaway so close to each other.

Tweeted by Transportation 4 America.....

Done deal. #Transpobill passes House and Senate in one day, completing the passage of bill that's a last gasp of 20th century policy.

"... the battle for the next one [transpo bill] begins the minute this one is signed!"

 

Wow, I am so mad about this bill I need to blow off some steam somehow.

 

Edit: Now that is looking like a false alarm. Yesterday I was so angry... Chabot's anti-rail amendment was apparently on another bill which hasn't passed yet.

June 29, 2012

Congress approves 2-year transportation bill

 

Congress officially approved a two-year transportation bill, as part of a broader package that included resolution of other long-simmering issues, including student loans and federal flood insurance.

 

The package passed the House 373 to 52 and the Senate 74 to 19, with one member voting present, according to the Washington Post. Under the agreement, federal transportation funding will continue at roughly $54 billion a year, with public transportation funds set at $8.36 billion in FY2012, $8.47 billion in FY 2013 and $8.595 billion in FY 2014.

 

READ MORE AT:

http://www.metro-magazine.com/News/Story/2012/06/Congress-approves-2-year-transportation-bill.aspx?ref=MET-BreakingNews-20120629&utm_source=Email&utm_medium=Enewsletter

Something funny. Wasnt sure where to post it.

 

^I like the idea of a countdown timer, but it wouldn't really work for the colorblind.

Good way to practice your drag race reaction times. Now everyone can cut perfect lights consistently!

This effectively exists where walk signals count down.

Yes, yes it does...