Senate committee preserves transportation funding, restores high-speed rail money
September 21, 2011By Stephen Lee Davis
Senate appropriators approved their draft bill setting spending levels for housing and transportation departments for 2012, preserving competitive intermodal programs and approving an amendment to restore a small amount of high-speed rail funding
A day after a markup in subcommittee that preserved TIGER and Amtrak funding but cut high-speed rail entirely, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved its 2012 Transportation-HUD spending bill Wednesday. An amendment offered by Senators Durbin, Lautenberg, Feinstein and Landrieu to provide $100 million for high speed and intercity passenger rail passed by voice vote in committee, meaning votes weren’t recorded.
Contrasted with the House’s 2012 bill, the Senate version doesn’t make the same drastic cuts from current funding levels for transportation and preserves important programs like TIGER that foster competition and use performance and bang for the buck as yardsticks to decide which projects to fund.
“The Senate is to be commended for preserving the current levels of investment in transportation,” said T4 America director James Corless. “With thousands of Americans out of work, now is not the time to cut spending on transportation and add to the unemployment rolls. Competitive programs like TIGER have been instrumental in starting to move toward a more performance-based system that takes a range of factors into account when deciding what projects to fund. The Senate also protected the vital New Starts funding to help expand urgently needed public transportation systems across the country, as well as funding for Amtrak and passenger rail.”
“While $100 million is far less than recent yearly spending on high-speed rail, the vote by Senate appropriators today to restore funding for high speed rail is a statement that this program is important to the country’s future and should continue to be funded,” continued Corless. ”This modest investment will help continue states’ momentum in building and planning their passenger rail networks; networks that are important to giving Americans other options for traveling within and through regions.”
The House and Senate are likely to pass a “continuing resolution” in the coming weeks to continue funding the government for another few months, meaning that at some point the House and Senate will have to come together to reconcile their very two different versions of this bill.
Closure of Ohio River Bridge Highlights Need for Robust Investment in Infrastructure
September 15, 2011By Transportation for America
Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels made a prudent decision to close the 49-year-old Sherman Minton bridge over the Ohio River between Louisville, Kentucky and New Albany, Indiana last Friday after cracks were found in support girders, highlighting once more the pressing need for strong federal investments in fixing our country’s infrastructure.
“This incident is powerful evidence that our country’s infrastructure needs cross both party lines and state lines,” said T4 America Director James Corless.
”Thousands of bridges, just like this one, are nearing the end of their designed lifespans and can become structurally deficient at any time, resulting in millions of dollars in repair costs that can quickly sap a state’s budget. Considering the average U.S. bridge is 42 years of age and designed for a 50-year lifespan, stories like this will become more common without aggressive investment in infrastructure and prioritizing repair.”
State officials in Kentucky and Indiana are investigating whether they need to replace the bridge, which would cost upwards of $500 million, according to one estimate, which pales in comparison to what each state spends on bridge repair and maintenance each year overall. Indiana spent only $47 million and Kentucky $136 million on bridge repair in 2008.
“President Obama’s American Jobs Act is exactly the kind of infusion of federal money that’s needed in Kentucky, Indiana and states all across the country facing similar needs and backlogs of deficient bridges. If passed, Kentucky could see $418 million and Indiana could see $650 million in flexible federal transportation dollars to spend on critical needs just like this bridge, which carries as many as 80,000 cars per day. There’s a clear need for the federal government to step up with funding to address these sorts of needs — especially bridges like this that carry a critical interstate highway through a region and connect two states across a river.”
“States also need to be held accountable to address the growing backlog of structurally deficient bridges with their federal transportation dollars,” Corless added. “States can currently spend half of their money dedicated to bridge repair on almost any other type of project. Today the federal program lacks a system to ensure that federal money goes to repair the worst bridges or address the backlog before new highways are built. For example, though Kentucky received $390 million in stimulus dollars and 10 percent of its bridges are structurally deficient, they only spent 26 percent of the stimulus on maintaining their current system, the fourth worst ratio in the country in a study from Smart Growth America.”
“One logical step forward would be Senator Ben Cardin’s Preservation and Renewal of Federal-Aid Highways Act, which would require the Secretary of Transportation to establish “state of good repair” standards for highways that receive federal funding, ensuring that federal dollars are targeted toward the most pressing needs first and holding states accountable for improving the condition of their systems.”
T4 America commends Speaker Boehner, Senate Leader Reid for agreement on clean transportation extension
September 12, 2011By Transportation for America
WASHINGTON, DC — Congressional leaders from both the House and Senate agreed Friday to extend SAFETEA-LU, the current surface transportation law, for six months at current funding levels and without policy changes. James Corless, director of Transportation for America, issued this statement in response:
“It is a good sign, indeed, that bipartisan negotiations between House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid resulted in an agreement that will keep Americans at work building our nation’s infrastructure. We are especially pleased that the extension funds the transportation program at existing levels and does not include divisive policy changes that deserve a full hearing and debate.
“The six-month timeline allows the relevant House and Senate Committees an opportunity to continue crafting a long-term authorization that protects and creates jobs, while investing in the travel options Americans want with the accountability they deserve. We look forward to working with Congress to get a new bill done next year.”
T4America Reaction to President’s speech on the American Jobs Act
September 8, 2011By Stephen Lee Davis
WASHINGTON, DC — James Corless, director of Transportation for America, issued this statement in response to President Obama’s speech on his proposed American Jobs Act:
“From the perspective of infrastructure investments, the President’s proposal is both ambitious and pragmatic. He called for immediate investments in the kind of transportation projects that create near-term jobs while providing long-term benefits to Americans and the economy. But he also laid the foundation for a national infrastructure bank that will help to leverage private investment and provide stable funding in the future. His plan would expand the successful TIGER program, which has made carefully targeted investments in those projects that compete best in sparking economic development, connecting people to jobs and daily needs, improving safety and affordability, and strengthening energy and economic security.
“The President was right to call on Congress again to break the gridlock and increase investment in infrastructure. To get America back on track, we need to set clear priorities to avoid misspending our precious dollars. Those priorities should include holding states and localities accountable for executing smart investment strategies, rebuilding our decaying infrastructure, and expanding the network to provide more convenient, safe and affordable travel options for all Americans. The alternative is lingering unemployment, gridlocked cities, stranded rural residents, hampered freight delivery and continued over-reliance on contested oil supplies.”
Transportation for America response to President’s call for “clean” extension of SAFETEA-LU
August 31, 2011By Stephen Lee Davis
WASHINGTON, DC — Today, President Obama stood with representatives of labor and business to call for a “clean” extension of the existing transportation funding measures, and a long-term transportation authorization. James Corless, director of Transportation for America, issued this statement in response:
“Extending the gas tax and the current law that allocates transportation funds ought to be the bipartisan no-brainer it has been historically. To play politics with the extension would deliver a gratuitous shock to a struggling economy and to families relying on infrastructure-related paychecks.
Beyond that, the President is right to urge Congress to break the gridlock and adopt a fully funded, long-term authorization that will protect and create jobs while supporting a full-fledged economic recovery. To be most effective, the updated transportation bill needs to ensure timely project approvals, as the President noted; but more importantly, it needs to set clear priorities to avoid misspending our precious dollars. Those priorities should include holding states and localities accountable for smart investment strategies and for repairing and updating existing infrastructure, while expanding the network to provide more convenient, safe and affordable travel options for all Americans.”
Transportation for America responds to House T&I authorization proposal
July 7, 2011By Transportation for America
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, House Transportation and Infrastructure committee chairman John Mica (R-FL) released an outline of principles for a proposed six-year transportation bill. The $230 billion, six-year proposal represents a 35 percent spending reduction with potentially significant impacts on road and bridge repair and maintenance, as well as public transportation and safer walking and bicycling. James Corless, director of Transportation for America, had this to say in response to the Chairman’s proposal on state flexibility, transit funding and streamlining project delivery:
“We commend Chairman Mica and his fellow drafters on the push to get this long-stalled bill moving, and we appreciate the effort to consolidate programs, leverage non-federal resources and deliver projects more quickly. However, we are skeptical that investments at this level can meet the country’s infrastructure needs.
A bill this small would need to be constrained to three key goals:
- Maintaining our national highway and bridge system, which is quickly approaching its mid-life crisis;
- Providing more options such as public transportation, vanpools and safer streets for bicyclists and pedestrians;
- Promoting accountability through meaningful performance measures and a more strategic approach to transportation planning.
“Chairman Mica’s proposal to give states broader latitude needs strong provisions for accountability on national goals, such as economic prosperity, energy independence, equal access to opportunity and environmental stewardship. However, this emphasis on the state level cannot come at the expense of the places that are feeling the brunt of our inadequate investments to this point: local communities in both urban and rural locales. We are particularly concerned at the proposal to eliminate dedicated funding that helps provide more safe options for walking and biking.
“While Chairman Mica indicated an intent to preserve the historic share of 20 percent for transit, the overall effect is a devastating cut that leaves us well short of the amount required to meet rising demand for transit service, especially in this time of severe fiscal constraints.
“The focus on removing bureaucratic impediments to progress is encouraging, but the details on how this is accomplished are critical. We look forward to seeing more of those and other details of the bill, and we hope the Chairman will follow through on his pledge to consider other ideas in a bipartisan fashion as his committee crafts a bill that preserves our infrastructure, expands our options and hold agencies accountable for performance.”
Most Aging Baby Boomers Will Face Poor Mobility Options
June 14, 2011By Transportation for America
Atlanta, GA tops the rankings for large metro areas with poor access to transit for seniors
By 2015, more than 15.5 million Americans 65 and older will live in communities where public transportation service is poor or non-existent, a new study shows. That number is expected to continue to grow rapidly as the baby boom generation “ages in place” in suburbs and exurbs with few mobility options for those who do not drive.
The report, Aging in Place, Stuck without Options, ranks metro areas by the percentage of seniors with poor access to public transportation, now and in the coming years, and presents other data on aging and transportation.
The analysis by the Center for Neighborhood Technology evaluates metro areas within each of five size categories. It shows that in just four years, 90 percent of seniors in metro Atlanta will live in neighborhoods with poor access to options other than driving, the worst ranking among metro areas with populations over 3 million. In that size category, metro Atlanta is followed by the Riverside-San Bernardino, CA metro area, along with Houston, Detroit and Dallas.
Kansas City tops the list for metros of 1-3 million, followed by Oklahoma City, Fort Worth, Nashville and Raleigh-Durham. In smaller areas like Hamilton, OH, 100 percent of seniors will have poor access to public transportation. These conditions present a daunting challenge to local communities as a larger share of their population demands increased mobility options.
“The baby boom generation grew up and reared their own children in communities that, for the first time in human history, were built on the assumption that everyone would be able to drive an automobile,” said John Robert Smith, president and CEO of Reconnecting America and co-chair of Transportation for America. “What happens when people in this largest generation ever, with the longest predicted lifespan ever, outlive their ability to drive for everything? That’s one of the questions we set out to answer in this report.”
“The vast majority of people age 50-plus want to stay in their homes for as long as possible, according to our research,” said AARP Executive Vice President Nancy LeaMond. “When they do move, they most often want to stay in their communities.”
Indeed, such a small percentage of older American actually relocate that researchers already are seeing the emergence of so-called “naturally occurring retirement communities.” That phenomenon is growing as baby boomers begin to turn 65. Today, about four in five seniors age 65 and older live in suburban or rural communities that are largely car-dependent.
“Communities like Atlanta have an enormous challenge before us, but it’s also an opportunity,” said Cathie Berger, division chief of the Area Agency on Aging in Atlanta. “It’s true that many of our suburban neighborhoods were built without considering the needs of an aging population. But many of the steps we could take to fix that – improving public transportation service, retrofitting our streets to be safer for walking – will improve quality of life for the entire community.”
Without access to affordable travel options, seniors age 65 and older who no longer drive make 15 percent fewer trips to the doctor, 59 percent fewer trips to shop or eat out and 65 percent fewer trips to visit friends and family, than drivers of the same age, research shows. As the cost of owning and fueling a vehicle rises, many older Americans who can still drive nonetheless will be looking for lower-cost options.
The transportation issues of an aging America are national in scope, and cash-strapped state and local governments will be looking for federal support in meeting their needs, Smith said. As Congress prepares this summer to adopt a new, long-term transportation authorization, Aging in Place, Stuck without Options outlines policies to help ensure that older Americans can remain mobile, active and independent:
- Increase funding support for communities looking to improve service such as buses, trains, vanpools, paratransit and ridesharing;
- Provide funding and incentives for transit operators, nonprofit organizations, and local communities to engage in innovative practices;
- Encourage state departments of transportation, metropolitan planning organizations, and transit operators to involve seniors and the community stakeholders in developing plans for meeting the mobility needs of older adults;
- Ensure that state departments of transportation retain their authority to “flex” a portion of highway funds for transit projects and programs;
- Include a “complete streets” policy to ensure that streets and intersections around transit stops are safe and inviting for seniors.
To view the full report and to see the extended rankings, please visit http://t4america.org/resources/seniorsmobilitycrisis2011/
Transportation for America response to joint statement of EPW leaders
May 26, 2011By Transportation for America
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee, Senator James Inhofe (R-OK), Ranking Member of the Committee, Senator Max Baucus (D-MT), Chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee, and Senator David Vitter (R-LA), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee, issued a joint statement on transportation authorization legislation. James Corless, director of Transportation for America, issued this statement in response:
We are pleased, indeed, to hear this bipartisan group of key Senators declare that, nearly two years after the expiration of the current SAFETEA-LU legislation, Congress intends to take up the next authorization bill in earnest. We also are heartened to learn that these leaders are not embracing cuts to current funding levels.
Because we have long called for the federal program to “focus resources on key national goals”, we were glad to hear the four senators echo that sentiment. We eagerly await discussion of what those goals might be, as well as the mechanisms for holding states and localities accountable for progress.
Whatever else the bill does, we certainly hope it will ensure that states use our federal dollars to address the 45 percent of highways rated below “good” condition and to repair our 70,000 structurally deficient bridges. In this era of rising gas prices and concerns over oil supplies, the next program also must ensure Americans have many safe, convenient and affordable options for getting around. And it must reduce the rate of death and injury to pedestrians noted this week in our Dangerous by Design report. Because two-thirds of fatalities occur on roads built under federal programs, the federal government clearly has a role in making those roads safer.
Report documents preventable pedestrian deaths, ranks most dangerous metro areas
May 24, 2011By Transportation for America
Programs and policies to promote safer streets and walking threatened as Congress debates renewal of federal transportation bill
More than 47,700 pedestrians were killed in the U.S. between 2000 and 2009, and the majority of those deaths were preventable, according to a new report released today by Transportation for America. The report, “Dangerous by Design 2011: Solving the Epidemic of Preventable Pedestrian Deaths,” shows how roadway designs promoted by federal investment endanger people on foot.
Dangerous by Design also ranks America’s major metropolitan areas using a Pedestrian Danger Index that uses 10 years of data to assess how safe pedestrians are while walking. The top four – Orlando, Miami, Jacksonville, and Tampa – are all in Florida. Other dangerous cities in the top 10 include: San Bernardino, California; Las Vegas, Nevada; Memphis, Tennessee; Phoenix, Arizona; Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston, Texas.
The report presents data on pedestrian fatalities and injuries in every U.S. county. And for the first time, this year’s report includes an online, interactive map showing the locations where pedestrian fatalities have occurred.
More than 688,000 pedestrians were injured over the decade, a number equivalent to a pedestrian being struck by a car or truck every 7 minutes. The report finds that while only 1.5 percent of federal funds are allocated towards upgrading dangerous roads, 12 percent of all nationwide fatalities are pedestrians. Of these fatalities, nearly 4,000 were children 15 years and younger, making pedestrian injury the third leading cause of death by unintentional injury for that age group.
The majority of deaths occur on roadways that encourage speeding but do not provide the sidewalks, crosswalks, signals and other protections for people who are walking, the report finds. Most of these roads were built using federal transportation funds. The report comes as the federal transportation bill is being debated in Washington DC and calls to eliminate programs that can promote safer, more walkable streets have increased.
“Some in Congress have questioned the federal interest in keeping pedestrians safe, believing it to be a strictly local issue,” said James Corless, director of Transportation for America. “But two-thirds of all pedestrian fatalities in the last 10 years occurred on federal-aid roadways.”
Dangerous by Design describes how communities across the country are beginning to reverse the legacy of 50 years of anti-pedestrian policies by retrofitting or building new roads as “complete streets” that are safer for walking and bicycling, as well as motorists.
“Dangerous by Design shines a spotlight on the dangers pedestrians – especially older Americans – face when they walk in unsafe crosswalks and along roads with little protection from fast-moving traffic,” said Nancy LeaMond, AARP Executive Vice President. “With a rapidly aging population, AARP is renewing its call on Congress to pass ‘Complete Streets’ legislation, which will help ensure that our streets and sidewalks are safe for all Americans regardless of age or ability.”
Hispanics suffered an average pedestrian death rate 62 percent higher than that for non-Hispanic whites. Similarly, the average pedestrian death rate for African-Americans was 73 percent higher than for non-Hispanic whites. In addition, older Americans are over twice as likely to be killed while walking as those under 65 years of age.
Dangerous by Design outlines a roadmap for the future by which Congress can tackle the problems created by poorly designed transportation systems and create safer, more efficient cities for drivers and pedestrians alike. Of particular emphasis is developing transportation systems that take into account pedestrians and bicyclists, instead of viewing them as impediments to traffic.
“Investing to make our roads safer for pedestrians is not a frill, but an urgent matter of life and death in too many of our communities,” said Corless. “Federal programs that caused the dangerous roads to be built now must be reformed to help communities make them safer.”
T4 recommendations for the next transportation bill to create safer streets include provisions to:
- Retain dedicated federal funding for pedestrians and bicyclists;
- Create complete networks of sidewalks, bicycle paths, and trails so that residents can travel safely throughout an area;
- Require federal, state, and local governments to set safety standards they must meet for pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcyclists, and motorists; and
- Hold states accountable for creating communities that are safe for walking.
To view the full report, please click here. (pdf)
Diverse groups propose cost-effective strategies to get the most for our transportation money
May 16, 2011By Transportation for America
Transportation for America, the Reason Foundation and Taxpayers for Common Sense show how to modernize systems, increase safety and reduce congestion
WASHINGTON, D.C. – A new report released today by Reason Foundation, Taxpayers for Common Sense and Transportation for America proposes cost-effective recommendations that Congress should consider as part of the pending transportation bill that will stretch our limited transportation dollars, save money in the long run, cut congestion, and better maintain the existing system.
The jointly written report, “The Most for Our Money: Taxpayer Friendly Solutions for the Nation’s Transportation Challenges,” introduces innovative approaches that will expand the efficiency of our infrastructure while keeping costs in check.
“Needless to say, the obstacles facing our transportation system are large, especially given the current state of the economy and difficult funding climate,” said James Corless, director of Transportation for America. “But by making smart, selective choices about how our vital dollars are spent — fixing what we have first and looking for ways to better utilize the system — we can maintain our current network and better meet changing transportation needs.”
The report outlines seven specific tools – some big, some small – that would significantly improve our nation’s transportation system by reducing future congestion, plan for the future, better utilize existing capacity and increase the safety of our roads and bridges.
For example, the implementation of Transportation Scenario Planning would bring together local governments, metropolitan planning organizations, and regional councils to assess forecasted data on transportation demands and develop “what-if” scenarios to indicate how potential systems would function as populations expand. Legislators, businesses and the public then assess these scenarios and come to agreement on the most favorable solution. Many communities find that changes to “business as usual” result in a more efficient transportation system at a lower cost. Scenario Planning has been used in various states and regions, and was recently embraced by Chicago in its “GO TO 2040” plan to develop a new transportation system by 2040 that would meet the city’s growing population and transportation needs.
“Staring down the barrel of trillion-dollar budget deficits, federal taxpayers are demanding more bang for their buck, and transportation spending is no exception,” said Erich W. Zimmermann, Senior Policy Analyst at Taxpayers for Common Sense. “Our work highlights a number of opportunities to do more with less. For example, scenario planning, modeled on strategic military planning, enables a community to consider various options and choose the one that best suits its fiscal and transportation needs.
Another innovative approach the report recommends is to reduce congestion on the road by expanding the use of High-Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes. HOT lanes are reserved for buses and other high-occupancy vehicles. Single-occupancy vehicles wishing to access the less congested HOT lanes pay a fluctuating rate based upon the number of vehicles in the HOT lanes to ensure they keep traffic moving. These lanes have already been introduced in cities around the country, and in Southeast Florida alone, saved commuters nearly $9 million in just six months.
“While HOT lanes and Bus Rapid Transit are certainly not new or flashy innovations, the purpose of our recommendations is to encourage Congress to rethink the way we finance and design our transportation systems and support the expansion of these types of low cost, efficient solutions,” said Shirley Ybarra, senior transportation policy analyst for Reason Foundation and former Virginia secretary of transportation. “We’re offering innovative ideas, free-market solutions, and simple fixes that will help us get the most for our money.”
The report also recommends five additional strategies, including:
- Bus Rapid Transit (BRT);
- Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS);
- Intercity Buses;
- Teleworking; and
- Local Street Connectivity
“It is imperative that Congress seriously consider these tools in the next six-year transportation reauthorization,” said Zimmermann. “Implementing strategies like these is an easy way for Congress to make America’s transportation more effective, efficient and convenient without breaking the bank.”
To view the report, click here.
###
TRANSPORTATION FOR AMERICA (T4) is the largest, most diverse coalition working on transportation reform today. Our nation’s transportation network is based on a policy that has not been significantly updated since the 1950’s. We believe it is time for a bold new vision — transportation that guarantees our freedom to move however we choose and leads to a stronger economy, greater energy security, cleaner environment, and healthier America for all of us. We’re calling for more responsible investment of our federal tax dollars to create a safer, cleaner, smarter transportation system that works for everyone. www.t4america.org
TAXPAYERS FOR COMMON SENSE is a 501(c)(3) non-partisan budget watchdog serving as an independent voice for American taxpayers. Our mission is to achieve a government that spends taxpayer dollars responsibly and operates within its means. We work with individuals, policymakers, and the media to increase transparency, expose and eliminate wasteful and corrupt subsidies, earmarks, and corporate welfare, and hold decision makers accountable. www.taxpayer.net
REASON FOUNDATION is a nonprofit think tank dedicated to advancing free minds and free markets and publisher of the critically-acclaimed Reason magazine and its website www.reason.com. For more information, please visit www.reason.org.
-
- 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 - Massive letter opposing House leadership attack on transit sent to Capitol Hill
February 3, 2012 - House leadership making unprecedented assault on public transit
February 2, 2012
- Oppose House bill that slashes public transit funding, falls short on repair and axes bike & pedestrian safety
Connect with T4 America
Interactive Features and Reports
T4 America on Twitter
