New transportation outline released

Reauthorization bill begins

Steve Hawley, Jun 18, 09.

UPDATE (6/22/09, 4:47 pm): Rep. Oberstar has released the full 775-page text of the transportation bill, according to Transportation for America.

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Congressman James Oberstar of Minnesota, chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, released a 10-page outline of the new transportation reauthorization bill Thursday morning, according to Transportation for America. The outline is accompanied by a second document describing the programs that will be consolidated under the new legislation. A more thorough 100-page blueprint will be released at a press conference at 2 pm ET Thursday afternoon.

The six-year bill, as outlined, would provide $337 billion for highways, $100 billion for transit, $13 billion for safety programs, and $50 billion for high-speed rail. The current bill—the 2005 Safe, Affordable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU)—provided a total of $286 billion over five years.

Transportation for America and Streetsblog have both commended the outline. Streetsblog says, “[The outline] suggests that [Oberstar] and Rep. Pete DeFazio (D-OR) have made good on their promises for a sweeping re-organization of the often debilitating federal transportation bureaucracy.”

The bill contains a somewhat higher proportion of transit spending than the expiring bill, but it appears that the new outline would preserve the existing funding silos and keep highway and transit funding separate. However, Transportation for America states:

Its important to note that the $98.8 billion in proposed transit funds is not necessarily an accurate reflection of how much money public transportation would receive in total. Oberstar’s outline includes $50 billion for a new “Metropolitan Mobility and Access Program,” which will “provide significant funding to help the largest metropolitan regions address congestion,” and a refocused “Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program” (CMAQ). While money for both of these programs are included in the highway allocation, it would be possible under the proposal to spend these funds on public transportation projects to achieve the stated goals of CMAQ and the Metropolitan Mobility programs.

The outline also calls for the creation of a National Transportation Strategic Plan to develop intermodal connectivity and a National Infrastructure Bank to leverage investments. The bill aims to repair aging transportation infrastructure, reduce congestion, and increase investments in high-speed rail.

The outline aims to:

reduce fatalities and injuries on our nation’s highways; unlock the congestion that cripples major cities and the freight transportation network; provide transportation choices for commuters and travelers; limit the adverse effects of transportation on the environment; and promote public health and the livability of our communities.

A related bill introduced in early June calls for a series of quantifiable transportation goals, including reducing vehicle miles per capita by 16 percent, tripling the number of transit, bicycle, and pedestrian trips, and reducing transportation-related carbon dioxide emissions by 40 percent in the next 20 years.

SAFETEA-LU expires on September 30, but with Congress tackling climate change, healthcare, and a Supreme Court confirmation process at the same time, it is unclear whether or not the new transportation bill will meet that deadline. On Wednesday, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood asked Congress for an 18-month extension, stating that the Federal Highway Trust Fund was running out of money and that the new bill was unlikely to pass in time. LaHood’s proposal would slightly reform SAFETEA-LU by streamlining the cost-benefit analysis process and emphasizing livable centers. Oberstar called any extension “unacceptable.”