Setting a new course

Local officials are optimistic a national commission’s ideas for reforming and funding the nation’s transportation system will play a significant part in Congress’ reauthorization of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act – A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), which is set to expire in September 2009. The National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission report released last month details the funding needs of surface transportation infrastructure, suggests creative financing options and lays out plans for a total transformation of the system.

Congress created the bipartisan commission in 2005 after the last reauthorization of SAFETEA-LU to examine the state of the transportation system and plan for its short- and long-term needs. One significant recommendation in the commission’s report is to streamline the dozens of programs under SAFETEA-LU into 10 major program areas, a suggestion city and county officials are praising. “There are a couple of these core programs that jump out at us as important. For instance, the suggested metropolitan mobility program,” says Robert Fogel, senior legislative director for the Washington-based National Association of Counties (NACo). “For the most part, the area of government that’s most impacted by congested metropolitan areas are counties, so a program that would focus on congestion is important.” Safety also is a huge issue. “Two-lane county roads have a much higher proportion of fatalities, so because they’re the least safe, we think a program to focus on that would be important,” Fogel says.

To fund the programs and upgrade the system to a state of good repair, the study says that federal, state and local government, as well as private industry, must invest at least $225 billion annually for the next 50 years. It states that “we are spending less than 40 percent of this amount today.”

The recommendations for generating the funding, however, have generated both praise and strong criticism. For short-term funding, the report recommends a 40-cent-per-gallon increase in the federal gas tax over five years and indexing the gas tax for inflation.

Rep. John Mica of Florida, the ranking Republican on the committee, has rejected the tax increase idea. But, he “is open to the idea of possibly indexing it to inflation when Congress begins discussing reauthorization,” says Justin Harclerode, his spokesperson.

For long-term funding, the commission suggests user fees and public/private partnerships. “The revenue part will probably be the last piece to fall into place. First, we assess the needs, then come up with a plan for them, then come up with how to fund it,” says Jim Berard, spokesman for Rep. James Oberstar, D-Minn., who chairs the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

Members of Congress say the report is one tool that will aid in the reauthorization process, which is likely to begin next year. However, the calls for major reform cannot come from Washington alone, says Robert Puentes, a fellow in the Washington-based Brookings Institution’s Metropolitan Policy Program. “They need to hear it bubble up from [metropolitan] areas, or [reform] will be more of a challenge,” he says.

The author is the Washington correspondent for American City & County.