All posts from the month of November 2010
Could an “oil security fee” and increased transportation options ensure better energy security?
November 30, 2010By Sean Barry
 Photo courtesy of the Vancouver Sun. |
America’s reliance on oil, particularly by our thirsty transportation system, comes with numerous costs that do not always show up at the pump, as well as the heavy dependence on foreign sources to sell us most of the oil we need to keep things moving each day.
A diverse group of experts are calling for a new approach that would acknowledge these hidden costs and help pave the way for a more diverse transportation system that could reduce oil consumption, keep us more safe and give us better options for getting around.
The proposed “oil security fee” would be added to gasoline and diesel fuel to reflect the true cost of securing these supplies. Revenues from the fee would go toward increasing mass transit, intelligent transportation systems, telecommuting and other options to provide more choices for how to get around. Allowing Americans to live closer to where they work, play and go to school is also among their menu of 10 smart new policies.
As the “Mobility Choice” coalition put it, “Now is the time to shift forward toward a future where Americans have real, viable transportation options.”
For decades policymakers have favored an oil dependent transportation system through the creation of our world-class interstate highway system, zoning and tax policies that make it easier build housing farther and farther away and a lack of investment in the kind of travel options — buses, light-rail, walking and biking — Americans want. More than four-in-five voters (82 percent) say “the United States would benefit fro expanded and improved transportation,” according to recent polling, and 79 percent of rural voters agree as well.
The coalition also points to the potential of new and emerging technologies that can provide real-time information and increased efficiency. Mobile phones and GPS technology enable drivers to receive up-to-the-minute updates on where to find parking, cutting back on idling and circles around the block, and a coordinated program like this is already underway in San Francisco. The same systems make it easier for bus passengers to know when the next arrival should be expected. (We profiled some of these new systems in a series of case studies on intelligent transportation. – Ed.)
Policies like an additional levy on oil might typically be associated with environmental organizations, and the Natural Resources Defense Council’s federal transportation policy director, Deron Lovaas, is in fact a co-author and contributor. But some other perhaps less-expected people have also signed on, including Gabriel Roth of the libertarian Independent Institute and Kenneth Green of the conservative American Enterprise Institute. They join a number of right-leaning policy thinkers in concluding that an oil fee is among the most efficient and market-friendly methods of cleaning up our air and becoming energy independent.
The coalition also includes a number of national security and foreign affairs thinkers, including Admiral Dennis McGinn, former CIA director R. James Woolsey and former National Security Advisor Robert C. McFarlane. They and others have noted that energy independence is in our national security interests – and it’s past time we act upon that interest.
Although the political climate around both transportation and revenue is volatile and uncertain, this commanding group of experts – and bold proposal – cannot be ignored.
You can find out more about Mobility Choice coalition and read the full report here.
Today’s Headlines – 11/30/10
November 30, 2010By Transportation for America
The Republican-backed earmark moratorium fell short in the Senate. (Politico)
New Jersey has 30 days to return $271 in funds for the canceled Hudson river tunnel project to the federal government. (WSJ)
The Recovery Act has given a second chance to American workers and neglected infrastructure. (DOT Blog)
Public transportation passengers in rural West Virginia reject the notion that transit is just for big cities. (State Journal)
Oklahoma’s new governor will retain the transportation secretary appointed by her Democratic predecessor. (AP)
And, buses are a high-tech learning tool for rural Arkansas high school students. (AP)
Today’s Headlines – 11/29/10
November 29, 2010By Transportation for America
Former transportation secretary Norm Mineta discussed his hopes for a transformational bill that invests in America’s infrastructure. (Transpo Nation)
Two towns in California’s Central Valley were recommended as high-speed rail stops. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Republican Senator-elect Mark Kirk, who will be sworn in today, supports high-speed rail in his homestate of Illinois. (Chicago Tribune)
Minnesota was recognized as the nation’s “Best Trails State” by American Trails. (Minneapolis Star-Tribune)
Montana’s Congressional delegation traded jabs over earmarks. (Billings Gazette)
And, Congress should review the Build America bonds program, the Washington Post editorialized. (WP)
Today’s Headlines – 11/24/10
November 24, 2010By Transportation for America
Presumptive House transportation committee chair John Mica wants to “do more with less.” (Land Line Magazine)
Defeated chairman Jim Oberstar fears increased polarization in the next Congress. (CNN)
Supporters of a three year moratorium on Congressional earmarks may not have the votes. (The Hill)
During a post-election “corned beef summit,” Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn and former rival Bill Brady agreed on support for high-speed rail. (Chicago Sun-Times)
Tightened security could be coming to public transportation, trains and boats. (The Hill)
And, a coalition of environmental, national security and deficit reduction advocates are calling for an “oil security fee.” (Reuters)
Today’s Headlines – 11/23/10
November 23, 2010By Transportation for America
President Obama is interested in speaking before the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. (HuffPost)
Seattle bus drivers agreed to forgo a 2011 raise. (Post-Intelligencer)
“Kennedy declared that we would go to the moon,” writes columnist Bob Herbert. “Chris Christie tells us that we are incapable of building a railroad tunnel beneath the Hudson River.” (NYT)
Dwindling gas tax revenues have forced Michigan officials to cancel road projects. (Detroit News)
And, retiring Senator Bob Bennett, a Utah Republican, said securing light rail funding for Salt Lake City was among his proudest contributions. (Salt Lake Tribune)
Today’s Headlines – 11/22/10
November 22, 2010By Transportation for America
Santa Clara County in California’s Silicon Valley is installing the nation’s first solar highway. (Morgan Hill Times)
The Minnesota AFL-CIO is pushing Wisconsin Gov.-elect Scott Walker to change his mind on high-speed rail. (AP)
Alaskans accustomed to federally-funded transportation projects would lose out under an earmark moratorium. (AP)
Freight trains are America’s unsung environmental hero, argues Megan McArdle (Atlantic Blog)
And, Connecticut’s departing Republican governor is seeking $100 million in additional rail funds. (Boston Herald)
Transit benefits will soon be cut in half — Help us stop it
November 19, 2010By Stephen Lee Davis
If you take transit to get to work each day, come January you could be paying more out of your own pocket when the tax deduction for transit is cut in half.
But drivers will keep enjoying the same great parking benefit – nearly double what transit commuters will be eligible to receive. We don’t think that’s fair, and Congress needs to hear about it.
Come January, if you spend more than $120 a month on your commute in a vanpool, train or bus, the federal government will be sending a message loud and clear: they’d like you to start driving to work, where you can get $230 for parking deducted from your paycheck tax free.
A provision in the stimulus bill increased the transit benefit from $120 to $230, finally putting it on equal footing with the $230 parking benefit and extending this great benefit to everyone, whether they drive or take transit each day. But that provision is about to expire unless Congress votes to extend it during their December session.
Transportation is the second largest household expense for many households. The millions of Americans who depend on transit to get to work each day shouldn’t have to pay more to do something that also saves us energy, reduces congestion and emissions, and uses less oil.
The federal government talks a good game about encouraging Americans to carpool or take public transportation to save energy and cut emissions, but they need to put their money where their mouth is. Sign our petition today.
(Note, this petition is hosted by Commuter Nation. -Ed.)
Today’s Headlines – 11/19/10
November 19, 2010By Transportation for America
A mass transit tax benefit included in the 2009 Recovery Act is set to expire. (NYT)
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce will not seek President Obama’s defeat in 2012. (AP)
Outgoing House transportation committee chairman Jim Oberstar called for a one-year transportation bill extension. (Fleet Owner)
Montana Senator Jon Tester may support the earmark ban. (Weekly Standard)
And, a growing number of states seek the rail funding Wisconsin is poised to reject. (State Journal)
Today’s Headlines – 11/18/10
November 18, 2010By Transportation for America
Yet another six-month extension of the surface transportation bill looks likely. (School Transpo News)
Automakers are facing a younger generation that is less enamored with owning a car. (MSNBC)
The back-and-forth between Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and Wisconsin Republicans over rail funds continued. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
Republican Rep.-elect Tim Walberg expressed support for high-speed rail in Michigan. (Battle Creek Enquirer)
New York’s new governor, Andrew Cuomo, faces an array of transportation challenges with a limited budget. (WSJ)
And, New York City could use funds from the canceled ARC tunnel to provide subway service to New Jersey. (Reuters)
Ann Arbor bridge replacement will help reconnect a crucial artery (TIGER Series)
November 17, 2010By Sean Barry
For years, officials in Ann Arbor, Michigan have been looking for funds to repair two critical, aging bridges on a heavily-traveled artery that links their community to the rest of Washtenaw County and the state’s southeast corner. A $14 million TIGER II grant from the federal government will enable them to repair these badly deficient bridges, bolster economic activity and free up local dollars for a backlog of local road and bridge projects.
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| Four lanes reduced to two, and it doesn’t look friendly to walkers, either. |
Ann Arbor, home to the flagship University of Michigan campus, is a key economic and educational hub in a state suffering from the second highest unemployment rate in the nation. Many of Michigan’s most innovative business start-ups and research activities happen in the city, and officials have emphasized the importance of connecting Ann Arbor to its neighbors in the rest of the state.
The two East Stadium Boulevard bridges are “functionally obsolete,” meaning they do not comply with today’s design standards. Both lack the required vehicle clearances. The bridge over State Street has a sufficiency rating of 2 out of 100, making it long overdue for repairs or replacement.
More than 48,000 vehicles traverse the bridges each day, but the original 4 lanes of traffic were reduced to just one lane in each direction after a January 2009 inspection revealed a safety hazard in the eastbound direction. The bridges also connect the 109,901 seat Big House, Michigan’s football stadium, as well as 42,000 students and 35,000 University of Michigan staff.
“It’s been a problem for my people in Ann Arbor for as long as I’ve served Ann Arbor,” said Congressman John Dingell at an event last month.
“We have an active interest in seeing these bridges successfully rebuilt,” said Jim Kosteva, director of community relations for the University, in an interview with Michigan Daily. “Being able to move goods and services and people throughout the community is very important to the University.”
In addition to public school buses and commuter traffic, bicyclists, pedestrians and 22 buses each weekday use the bridge. The photos above and below provide an up-close and aerial view of the bridges.
While these funds bring the obvious benefit of relieving a traffic bottleneck for cars and buses and rebuilding a potentially dangerous bridge, city officials also cited the new sidewalks and bike lanes that will make it easier and safer to bike and walk — important in a walkable city full of young students that has high rates of pedestrians and bicyclists.
“The proposed project will provide a sidewalk on the south side of Stadium Boulevard, on-street bike lanes, and a pedestrian connection between State Street and Stadium Boulevard which will work to create a more ‘walkable’ and bicycle-friendly community,” according to the City’s application.
Ann Arbor Ward 2 Councilmember Tony Derezinski described the TIGER II grant to AnnArbor.com as “like an early Christmas.” He added that “we just have a lot to be thankful for — this is a substantial part of the money we need.”
“We’ve been working on this for several years,” Mayor John Hieftje told the Michigan Daily. “It’s just great to get this funding.”
The city’s successful application cites the need for a “safe and cohesive transportation network” so that Ann Arbor can continue to attract new employers. Although the city has fared better than most of Michigan, it has still lost jobs and seen stagnant growth. Pfizer Pharmaceutical Company closed its campus there in 2008.
This project also illustrates that smart investments result in significant savings down the road. According to city estimates, the total savings from the bridge replacements add up to $12.8 million annually, including $106,000 in savings from reduced vehicle-miles traveled, $5 million in savings from reduced delays and $7.7 million in savings from reduced crashes. These kind of savings are what targeted investments and the TIGER program are all about.
Since the announcement of the TIGER II, the Michigan Department of Transportation announced that the East Stadium Boulevard bridges would receive nearly $3 million more in state-level grants.
(Photos courtesy City of Ann Arbor)
Editor’s Note: This is part of a series profiling the winners of the US DOT’s TIGER grants on the T4 America blog. For more information about the TIGER grants, view our interactive map and list of all the winners, read the rest of the posts in the series profiling the winners, and read all TIGER-related stories with the “TIGER” tag from the blog.
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- The more they see, the less they like: 10 reasons why opposition to the House transportation bill is growing
February 21, 2012 - Crucial amendment could improve Senate bill, restore local control and help make streets safer
February 14, 2012 - Oppose House bill that slashes public transit funding, falls short on repair and axes bike & pedestrian safety
February 7, 2012 - T4 coalition announces opposition to House energy and transportation bill
February 6, 2012 - House committee ignores broad opposition, decimates transit funding anyway
February 3, 2012
- The more they see, the less they like: 10 reasons why opposition to the House transportation bill is growing
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