Obama administration releases transportation reform goals

At odds with House, Senate

Steve Hawley, Jul 15, 09.

The Obama administration, which recently proposed an 18-month extension of the current transportation bill, has released a list of reforms it would like to include in the extension, according to Streetsblog DC. The 18-month extension was proposed last month despite strenuous opposition from House members who want to pass a new transportation bill by the end of September.

The proposed reforms, according to Streetsblog, include “$310 million to help state DOTs and local Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) begin collecting data on the usage and ridership of transportation projects,” as well as stricter reporting requirements on the costs and performance of projects that are getting federal funding.

In addition, the proposal would create a national infrastructure bank, and it suggests that the US Department of Transportation is considering national performance targets such as those proposed in the House earlier this year.

However, the article notes that the administration may find it difficult to enact such reforms because House members want new legislation while key senators have expressed a desire for an extension without reforms.