The Congressional Budget Office just released a new report that outlines problems with the way the federal government spends money on highways and suggests some potential fixes. The report argues that financial challenges have made it even more important that highway funding is spent in the most productive way possible, i.e., maintenance should be prioritized over expansion and spending should better correspond to highways’ use and economic value.
federal funding
Conflict over drunk driving penalties divide safety advocates
As Congress hashed out the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, one area of heated debate centered on how to effectively reduce drunk driving. The debate has focused on whether states should require that everyone convicted of drunk driving—including first-time offenders—install an ignition interlock device in their vehicle. Opponents have argued that these funds should be made available to states with 24/7 sobriety programs for repeat offenders as well.
Politico examines Wisconsin’s “Love Affair with Overpasses”
The transportation record of a prominent presidential candidate is the jumping off point for a lengthy, critical report on American transportation policy in Politico last week. Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker recently proposed to dramatically increase borrowing in order to support several highway megaprojects in southern Wisconsin. But the Politico article points out that the size of the budget is not the only, or even the most important, issue—both in Wisconsin and in Washington.
How MPOs Are Handling TAP and SRTS (National Center for Safe Routes to School, 2013)
This white paper from the National Center for Safe Routes to School is based on in-depth interviews with a selection of MPO managers and state SRTS coordinators, conducted as they were setting up and launching their programs after the changes in the program with MAP-21.
State DOT funding increases for public transportation
A new report from AASHTO shows that state funding for transit has increased from $13.8 billion in FY 2007 to $13.983 billion in 2011. This funding increase is a result of 18 states increasing their public transit funding by $1.23 billion, which made up for decreases in some other states.
Economist urges less general revenue, more user fees to support air travel
About 70 percent of the FAA’s funding comes from charges related to use, while the TSA covers only about a third of its costs with user fees. A stronger user-based system, one economist argues, would be fairer, would direct resources where they are most needed, and would protect the system from uncertainty in Washington.
Tennessee DOT Commissioner halts I-69 project
In December, Tennessee Department of Transportation Commissioner John Schroer announced that TDOT would stop work on the segment of Interstate 69 in western Tennessee. Citing the high cost of the next segment of the so-called “NAFTA Highway,” Schroer pointed out the need to fund safety programs and maintain existing infrastructure.
An environmentalist’s call to curb the federal role in transportation
In the post-Interstate-building era, questions about the role of the federal government in funding surface transportation have become more common. Most of these arguments have come from conservatives. A new call for eliminating the federal role comes from a different perspective, though—a green one.
Report documents the continued rise of walking and biking
A new benchmarking report from the Alliance for Biking and Walking shows a 57 percent growth in bike commuting in the United States and a 29 percent rise in pedestrian fatalities in large cities between …
The high speed rail quandry
The future of high speed rail in America continues to be uncertain. While California has suffered multiple setbacks in its efforts, high speed rail continues to be on the agenda in several other states.