National Association of Regional Councils

Transportation

NARC supports the existence and continued operations of MPOs of all sizes in metropolitan planning and programming and RPOs and other rural organizations for rural planning. Our goal is to advocate for Authority, Funding, and a Positive Future Role for all regional transportation providers and promote regional solutions to transportation needs. NARC also functions as a platform for information exchange, technical assistance and research.

New in Transportation

updated February 17, 2010
US DOT Announces $1.5 Billion in TIGER Grants

Today, US DOT announced $1.5 billion in Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grants. You can access USDOT's TIGER page HERE. The awards were fairly geographically diverse and focused heavily on rail projects that are both goods and passenger focused. Additionally, bicycle and pedestrian related projects received a large amount of funding. US DOT has also released the following items, which seek to give greater detail in the manner in which the funds were granted. They include:

one-sheet list of TIGER grant awards multi-state with total project cost (93KB, .pdf)
two-page listing of TIGER grant awards by state vs requests (86KB, .pdf)
official list from USDOT containing more detailed project descriptions (4MB, .pdf)

Updated December 22, 2008
President-Elect Obama Names Congressman Ray LaHood (R-IL, 18th) USDOT Secretary

Congressman Ray LaHood is retiring from Congress this year, but will continue his public service as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation in the Obama Administration. Congressman LaHood was first elected on November 8, 1994 to the 104th Congress and has represented the 18th Congressional District of Illinois for seven terms. Congressman LaHood was a member of the House Appropriations Committee, serving on its Select Intelligence Oversight Panel, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Agricultural, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies, and Subcommittee on Legislative Branch. Prior to this work, Congressman LaHood was Chief of Staff for U.S. House Minority Leader Robert Michel (R-IL, 18), a Member of the Illinois House of Representatives and District Administrative Assistant for Congressman Tom Railsback (R-IL, 17). Congressman LaHood also worked for the Rock Island Youth Services Bureau, the Bi-State Planning Commission, and was a junior high school social studies teacher for six years. He is a graduate of Bradley University.

Click HERE to read the Associated Press article, “Transportation pick known as bipartisan politician.”

Updated November 14, 2008
Gary Gallegos Testified Before House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, October 29

NARC Member Gary Gallegos, Executive Director of San Diego Association of Governments, testified on behalf of the National Association of Regional Councils on Wednesday, October 29 at the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Click HERE to access a copy of his testimony.

House panel to examine infrastructure investment (10/27/2008)

Josh Voorhees, E&E Daily reporter

The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee will meet this week to discuss financing options for the nation's crumbling infrastructure.

The hearing comes as Washington lawmakers and state officials have expressed concerns about short- and long-term funding for transportation construction and maintenance. Last month, lawmakers were forced to scramble to address the looming shortfall in the portion of the Highway Trust Fund that finances most roadwork. Congress approved an $8 billion injection into the fund as a short-term fix to keep the account solvent through the end of fiscal 2009 (E&E Daily, Sept. 8).

In the longer-term, Congress is also ramping up debate on the reauthorization of the current national surface transportation law -- the "Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: a Legacy for Users," or SAFETEA-LU -- which expires in September of next year.

SAFETEA-LU guaranteed roughly $250 billion for the nation's roads, railways and public transit, and its reauthorization is expected to provide drastically more. State transportation officials last week asked Congress for $545 billion over the six-year duration of the reauthorization (E&ENews PM, Oct. 21).

The bulk of the nation's surface transportation infrastructure has long been funded by federal taxes on gasoline and diesel. But increased auto fuel efficiency, coupled with a decrease in miles traveled by American drivers, has left fuel tax revenues unable to keep pace with spending guaranteed in the current law.

Raising the gas tax has proven politically unpopular and, as expected, both presidential candidates Republican Sen. John McCain and Democratic Sen. Barack Obama have said they are against any plan that would raise the tax.

Other options that are being discussed include a variety of pricing schemes and user fees, as well as attempts to harness private investment through public-private partnerships.

Schedule: The hearing is Wednesday, Oct. 29, at 9:30 a.m. in 2167 Rayburn.

Witnesses: Doug Black, CEO of Oldcastle Materials Inc.; William Buechner, vice president of economics and research at the American Road and Transportation Builders Association; Brian Burgett, representing the Associated General Contractors of America; William Crosbie, chief operating officer of Amtrak; William Decota, director of aviation for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey; Manuel Diaz, mayor of Miami, Fla., and president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors; Terry Dillon, National Utility Contractors Association president; Peter Drakos, president of Coastal Connect LLC; Judith Enck, New York deputy secretary for the environment; former Michigan Gov. John Engler, president of the National Association of Manufactures; Gary Gallegos, representing the National Association of Regional Councils; John Irons, research and policy director of the Economic Policy Institute; Tom Leyden, representing the Solar Energy Industries Association; Terence O'Sullivan, representing the International Union of North America; Maryland Secretary of Transportation John Porcari, representing the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials; and Beverly Scott, American Public Transportation Association chairman.

Updated August 15, 2008
FY09 Appropriations Update for Transportation

Click HERE for the fiscal year 2009 appropriations status with a breakdown for transportation. Please contact Shannon Menard if you have any questions or require further information.

New Vision for Intercity Rail Service

The Passenger Rail Working Group has announced a new vision for intercity rail service throughout America to include investments totaling $357.2 billion through 2050. The vision was detailed in a report presented to the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission. Click here for more information about this bold, new vision.

NARC Offers its Support to National Transportation Commissions
NARC sent letters and information about regional councils in an outreach effort to support the work of the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Commission and the National Surface Transportation Infrastructure Financing Commission. NARC encourages members to contact each Commission respectively to offer assistance.

Policy Commission Letter - Financing Commission Letter - NARC Information Packet - Sample Member Letter

National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Commission

For the latest news on the National Surface Transportation Policy Commission, as well as information on industry trends, please click here.

NARC Supports Rail Competition Legislation
NARC sent a letter applauding and supporting Senate Judiciary subcommittee Chairman Herb Kohl’s (D-WI) rail competition bill, S 772, which will improve rail transportation services to communities and businesses, bolstering the economic competitiveness of our regions and the entire nation.

Click here to learn more about S 772.
Click here to read NARC's letter to Chairman Kohl.

House Passes FAA Reauthorization; Senate Committee Continues Work on Financing Package

The House passed HR 2881, which would reauthorize the FAA at $68 billion over four years. The Senate Finance Committee continues to mark up tax portions of S 1300, their FAA reauthorization bill.

The House bill includes a number of amendments:
- tighten oversight of foreign aircraft repair stations
- cut down on airline overscheduling
- establish health and safety standards for flight attendants
- create new protections for people stranded on aircraft left on the tarmac for long periods
- require airlines and airports to develop plans to provide clean drinking water to passengers and to allow them to deplane following excessive delays
- allow the Transportation Department to impose civil penalties on airlines or airports that don’t adhere to these plans
- require the Transportation Department to investigate more consumer complaints, including flight cancellations, overbooking, baggage concerns and other issues
- order the FAA to study the feasibility of developing a data clearinghouse for wind turbine obstruction of aviation sites
- require foreign aircraft repair stations to subject their employees to drug and alcohol testing, as is the case for domestic aircraft mechanics
- raise the general aviation fuel tax from 21.8 cents per gallon to 35.9 cents per gallon, and the commercial aviation fuel tax from 19.3 cents per gallon to 24.1 cents per gallon, with the extra revenue would be dedicated to air traffic control modernization
- provides $15.8 billion for the Air Improvement Program (AIP)
- authorizes increased funding for the Essential Air Service Program (EAS)
- extends the Small Community Air Service Development Program through FY11 at current authorized $35 million per year levels, providing an additional $9 million per year for overflight fees starting in FY09

The Senate financing proposal includes:
- would raise the tax on general aviation fuel to 36 cents per gallon.
- would not change commercial aviation fuel taxes, but would classify aircraft owned by multiple parties as general aviation for the purposes of jet fuel taxation, repeal the ticket tax these types of planes are currently subject to, and impose a $58-per-flight departure tax.
- would change the international departure and arrival tax from $15.10 per flight to $16.50, and index it for inflation.
- will consider a measure that would add about $3.4 billion to the HTF by temporarily prohibiting money from being transferred from it to the general Treasury for non-highway uses, including some transit purposes, and suspending tax credits for certain kinds of fuels, among other initiatives.

NARC sent a letter of congratulations to Chairmen Oberstar (D-MN) and Costello (D-IL) for the successful House passage of HR 2881 and a letter to Senate Finance Committee Chairman Baucus and Ranking Member Grassley supporting their efforts to infuse more funds into both the Airport and Airway Trust Fund and the Highway Trust Fund.

Click here to read NARC's Federal Aviation Administration policy.
Click here to read the Congressional Budget Office's (CBO) cost estimate for HR 2881.

NARC Issues Transportation Safety Planning Brief

Click here to read the Transportation Safety Planning Brief

Department of Transportation Names Six Interstate Routes as "Corridors of the Future"

The U.S. Department of Transportation yesterday announced six interstate routes –I-95, I-70, I-15, I-5, I-10, I-69 – that will be the first to participate in a new federal initiative, “Corridors of the Future,” to develop multi-state corridors to help reduce congestion. The program is aimed at developing innovative national and regional approaches to reduce congestion and improve the efficiency of freight delivery.

The selected corridors carry 22.7 percent of the nation’s daily interstate travel. The routes will receive the following funding amounts to implement their development plans:

$21.8 million for I-95 from Florida to the Canadian border
$5 million for I-70 in Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio
$15 million for I-15 in Arizona, Utah, Nevada, and California
$15 million for I-5 in California, Oregon, and Washington
$8.6 million for I-10 from California to Florida
$800,000 for I-69 from Texas to Michigan.

These routes were selected for their potential to use public and private resources to reduce traffic congestion within the corridors and across the country. The concepts include building new roads and adding lanes to existing roads, building truck-only lanes and bypasses, and integrating real-time traffic technology like lane management that can match available capacity on roads to changing traffic demands.

The Department and the states will now work to finalize formal agreements by spring 2008 that will detail the commitments of the federal, state, and local governments involved. These agreements will outline the anticipated role of the private sector as well as how the partners will handle the financing, planning, design, construction, and maintenance of the corridor.

For more information on the selected corridors and the proposals, please visit CORRIDORS OF THE FUTURE FACT SHEET.htm.

To read the letter that NARC issued to the Secretary supporting this initiative, please click here.

The Administration Speaks Out Against Raising the Gas Tax

The Secretary of Transportation, Mary Peters recently expressed the Administration’s views on increasing the federal gas tax to fund infrastructure in an op-ed published in the Washington Post. Click here to view,

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/24/AR2007082401697.html.

FHWA and FTA Publish New SAFETEA-LU Implementation Resource

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Office of Planning and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), Office of Planning and Environment have released a report detailing illustrative examples of SAFETEA-LU planning. In the report, you will find examples of current practice from COGs/MPOs and state departments of transportation highlighting a range of approaches for addressing selected planning provisions. The report can be found here, http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/metro/sftluexamp.htm.

NARC Issues Goods Movement Brief

Click here to read the Goods Movement Brief.

NARC Issues Data and Technology Brief

Click here to read the Data and Technology Brief.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters Announced Today More Than $128 Million In Emergency Funds To Repair Damaged Roads in Seven States and Various Federal Facilities

More than $128 million in additional emergency relief funds is now available to pay for repairs to roads and bridges damaged by a variety of natural and other emergencies, announced U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters today.

“Natural disasters hit communities in the home, heart and pocketbook,” Secretary Peters said. “By rebuilding crucial roads and highways, these funds will help people to get back on the road and back to the relief of normal, day to day life.”

The funds will go to 7 states and other federal facilities, like parkways, to pay for damages caused by storms, floodings and earthquakes. In the case of California, the funds will go toward the repair of an interchange on I-580 in Oakland that collapsed because of a truck fire and of Mississippi toward the repair of roads damaged by Hurricane Katrina.

The Federal Highway Administration, a part of the U.S. DOT, will reimburse the states for expenses associated with these emergency situations. The funds will be used to reimburse states for fixing or replacing damaged highways and bridges, establishing detours, removing debris and replacing signs, lighting and guardrails.

"Transportation links are key to getting economies and people’s lives back on track,” said FHWA Administrator J. Richard Capka.

The emergency relief funds are part of an emergency appropriations package in the amount of $871 million, signed into law by President Bush in September 2005, to supplement FHWA's emergency relief program. The current release of funds, in addition to $675 million provided earlier this year, brings the total provided to more than $803 million with the balance still available to states upon request.

The program is used to reimburse states for certain costs resulting from natural disasters or other emergencies. A table detailing the funds can be seen at .

Emergency Relief Program Funds - Summary By State
August 30, 2007
State	Event	Allocation Amount	Subtotal by State
California	April 29, 2007 I-580 Interchange Collapse	24,200,000	24,200,000
Illinois	July 7, 2007 I-74 Truck Fire	2,943,100	2,943,100
Iowa	May/June 2007 Storms and Flooding	4,122,774	4,122,774
Massachusetts	October 7, 2005 Flooding	609,200	9,609,200
Massachusetts	May 2006 Rainfall and Flooding	9,000,000	9,609,200
Mississippi	August 29, 2005 Hurricane Katrina	20,000,000	20,000,000
New Mexico	July 1, 2006 Storms	1,605,981	4,025,752
New Mexico	July 26, 2006 Storms	2,419,771	4,025,752
Washington	February 28, 2001 Nisqually Earthquake	3,892,500	3,892,500
Federal Lands agencies	various events	59,594,050	59,594,050
Total		128,387,376	128,387,376

NARC Issues Transportation Finance Brief

Click here to obtain a copy of the NARC Transportation Finance Brief.

Senate Holds Subcommittee Hearing on Essential Air Service (EAS)

NARC recently attended a Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Subcommittee hearing on improving air service to small and rural communities. To read a full summary of the hearing, please click here.

Travel Demand Forecasting Report Released by the Transportation Research Board (TRB)

This week TRB released “Metropolitan Travel Forecasting: Current Practice and Future Direction,” a report outlining metropolitan travel forecasting models. More information and a copy of the report can be found at http://www.trb.org/news/blurb_detail.asp?id=782.

Chairman Oberstar and Representative DeFazio Issue Position Paper on Public Private Partnerships

House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman James Oberstar and Highways and Transit Subcommittee Chairman Representative Peter DeFazio released a position paper outlining their concerns over public-private partnerships in transportation. This document follows-up and expands on points raised in a letter on public private partnerships dated May 10 and sent to governors, key legislators and top transportation officials in all 50 states.

To view a copy of the position paper, click here.

Chairman Oberstar Writes Letter Warning States Against Public-Private Partnerships

Chairman Oberstar of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and Representative Peter DeFazio, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit sent a letter last week to governors, state legislators and state transportation officials warning them against the pitfalls of rushing into public-private partnerships. The letter stresses many public-private partnership agreements are not structured with the long-term, public interest in mind. Financing and funding mechanisms for transportation should promote a safe and well integrated transportation system that can address mobility, highway safety and other transpiration-related issues as they arise. Click hear to read a copy of the letter.

NARC Issues Statement Supporting Rail Initiatives

On May 7, 2007 NARC issued a statement of support for HR 2125, legislation ensuring competition in the rail industry through preservation of existing rail-to-rail competition and enabling customers to obtain reliable service and for HR 2095, legislation reauthorizing the Federal Railroad Administration and improving rail safety.

Letters were set to Chairman Oberstar (D-MN) and Reps. Baker (R-LA) and Brown (D-FL) for both HR 2125 and HR 2095 respectively. For copies of the letters, visit the government affairs section of the website at http://narc.org/legislation/policy-statements-and-testimony.html and see letters listed for May 7.

NARC Joins AAR and Others in Support of Freight Rail Infrastructure Capacity Expansion Act (S 1125)

Today, the National Association of Regional Councils (NARC) issued a statement of support for the Freight Rail Infrastructure Capacity Expansion Act (S 1125), which intends to provide incentives to expand rail infrastructure and help ease highway congestion to assist in meeting the 67 percent spike in freight traffic predicted by the Department of Transportation by the year 2020. NARC joins the Association of American Railroads (AAR) and many other organizations as a supporter of this legislation.

Freight and goods movement is at the heart of the American economy. The nation’s $1.75 trillion transportation infrastructure makes it possible to move $6 trillion worth of freight each year. Transportation services make up a substantial portion of the economy—about 11 percent of the gross domestic product. Over 13 million people work directly or indirectly in transportation services.

Despite the importance of freight and goods movement to the economy, investment in the system has lagged behind amounts needed to accommodate growth. To simply maintain the nation’s already crowded interstates and highways at their current level of service, about $34 billion more is needed per year. Even more money is needed to actually improve road conditions for motorists and truckers. Railroads will need to invest up to $175 billion over the next 20 years, principally through private financing sources. The Freight Rail Infrastructure Capacity Expansion Act is a step towards a larger solution.

Promoting heavy rail as a way to move both goods and passengers continues to be a priority for NARC’s multi-modal transportation program. NARC also continues to support and work with Class I, II, and III railroads as a means to ease cross country and intercity container congestion. Utilizing our massive rail infrastructure and infusing new capital into maintenance and new track is a needed component of a national freight policy.

To learn more about the freight rail tax credit, please visit the Association of American Railroads website.

To view the list of supporters, please click here.

GAO Testimony Heard on SAFE Port Act by House Homeland Security Subcommittee

On Thursday, April 26th, the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Border, Maritime, and Global Counterterrorism held a hearing examining the “SAFE Port Act: A Six Month Review.” Testifying at the hearing was Stephen Caldwell, Director of Homeland Security and Justice, U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). Mr. Caldwell presented observations on selected aspects of the SAFE Port Act, in particular the port security and revenue functions, as well as overall implementation of the law.

Caldwell reported that many port facility security requirements are being implemented, but not always on schedule. He indicated that the Coast Guard will be challenged by the number of trained inspectors it needs to complete required inspections. Additionally, container security programs are experiencing challenges in implementation at ports of entry, including the inability to directly test the security measures used by different companies in their supply chains, particularly overseas. Caldwell also detailed the Department of Homeland Security’s dilemmas in maintaining its customs revenue functions, citing that DHS failed to maintain the legislatively mandated staffing levels, lacks a strategic workforce plan, and does not publicly report on its performance of customs revenue functions, which would help ensure accountability.

To read the GAO’s findings and Caldwell’s entire report, please visit http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d07754t.pdf.

House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Aviation Holds Hearing on the Essential Air Service Program (EAS) and the Small Community Air Service Development Program.

NARC attended a hearing yesterday, Wednesday, April 25 on the Essential Air Service (EAS) Program and the Small Community Air Service Development Program. The EAS Program was developed in response to airline deregulation in 1978 to guarantee small communities would be served by certified air carriers and maintain a minimal level of service. This program is the main link between rural communities and the national air transportation system. The small community program began in 2002 to provide grant-in-aid financial assistance to small communities to improve their air service.

There were three panels of witnesses and testimony was received by the following individuals:

Representative Terry Everett (R-AK)
Representative Mike Thompson (D-CA)
Gerald Dillingham – Director, Physical Infrastructure Issues, Government Accountability Office
Michael Reynolds – Deputy Assistant Secretary of Transportation for Aviation and International Affairs
Faye Malarkey – Vice President, Legislative Affairs, Regional Airline Association
Bill Hansell - Commissioner, Umatilla County, Oregon, and Immediate Past President, National Association of Counties
David N. Edwards – Director, Asheville Regional Airport, Asheville, NC, and Chairman, Small Airport Committee, Airports Council international North America
Mark Courtney – Director, Lynchburg Regional Airport, Lynchburg, VA
Robert Grierson – Manager, Dubuque Regional Airport, Dubuque, IA

More information on the hearing, including full testimony from each of the witnesses is available at http://transportation.house.gov/hearings/hearingdetail.aspx?NewsID=160.

These programs are being considered as part of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization, which expires in September 2007.

Currently, the EAS program is being funded through the 2007 continuing resolution at approximately $110 million, the same as funding enacted in 2006. The Administration’s FAA Reauthorization proposal is calling for a reduction in overall funding for the program, capping it at a maximum of $50 million per year. This is $60 million less than current funding levels. With a reduction in funding, half of the participating communities would be dropped, cutting off vital air service for many rural areas. Other program changes proposed by the administration include capping EAS communities to those receiving subsidized air service and ranking all subsidized communities by driving miles to the nearest large or medium hub airport with the most isolated receiving services first.

Yesterday’s comments made to and questions asked of witnesses by the House Aviation Subcommittee indicate that they consider these programs the lifeblood of many rural communities by connecting them to the larger transportation network. With the Subcommittees endorsement for these programs, policy changes and funding levels established during the FAA reauthorization process are likely to include continued support for airline services in our country’s rural communities.

NARC supports additional funding for the EAS Program, as well as policy changes that will enhance and expand air service in rural areas. With FAA Reauthorization slated as one of NARC’s 2007 legislative priorities, we will continue to closely monitor and advocate on federal aviation issues that are of interest to regional councils. More information on FAA reauthorization will be provided to you once it is available. If you have questions, please contact Megan Zadecky, Transportation Director at 202.986.1032 x 212 or megan@narc.org.

FHWA Issues Report on Review of Locally Administered Projects

The Federal Highway Administration has issued a memo concerning the oversight of Federal-aid Projects administered by local public agencies to FHWA Directors of Field Services and Division Administrators. Included with the memo is the final report on the National Review of locally administered projects that was recently conducted by the agency.

For your review we have posted the memo, final report as well as some background documentation on the issue.

Memo issued to FHWA Directors of Field Services and Division Administrators

Final Report on Federal-aid Projects administered by local public agencies

Background Document One

Background Document Two

Background Document Three

Transportation Legislative Update: House Passes Technical Corrections Bill Making Changes to SAFETEA-LU

Last week, the House passed legislation (HR 1195) tweaking some funding levels and minor issues created by the six-year, $286.5 billion dollar transportation law.

One change of particular interest is the six-month deadline extension for the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission and an additional $2 million for the commission to complete their work. Established through SAFETEA-LU, the 12-member commission is charged with reporting on transportation and infrastructure funding and beginning the debate on alternative financing options to replace funding generated by the federal gas tax which will be insolvent by 2009. Currently, the commission is scheduled to report back to Congress on July 1, 2007.

The commission got off to a slow start because of the Administration’s delay in appointing commissioners and the resignation in July 2006 of Transportation Secretary Mineta. Secretary Mary Peters, who chairs the commission, has asked Congress for additional time to ensure that all options for future transportation policy are properly considered.

The legislation also changed certain earmarked projects because of cost overruns that are not consistent with pay-as-you go budget requirements adopted by Congress earlier this year.

Two similar technical corrections bills were passed by the House last year, but no action was taken by the Senate. Currently there is no companion bill that has been introduced in the Senate.

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is ordering states to rescind highway program funds by April 18, 2007.

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is ordering states to rescind highway program funds by April 18, 2007.

As part of the Revised Continuing Appropriations Resolution for FY 2007, FHWA is directing states to rescind $3.471 billion in highway program funds by relinquishing funds from state “unobligated program balances.” Program funds must be rescinded by April 18, 2007.

If you have concerns about this round of rescissions, you should contact your Governor’s office, state DOT and state legislators immediately to ensure a “balanced” reduction among all of the program categories. Currently, neither Congress nor FHWA has provided guidance or instructions regarding the rescissions. With this, it is especially important hat you begin talking to people within your state prior to the deadline.

Our friends at the Surface Transportation Policy Partnership (STPP) have put together information to help COGs and MPOs navigate this process to ensure that local and regional programs are not being undercut by the rescission.

The FHWA order, which includes a table showing the amount of funds your state must rescind, can be found at STPP’s site at -- http://www.transact.org/km/FHWAFY07RescissionMemo$3.471B.pdf.

STPP estimates about $35 billion in unobligated program balances are currently available to the states in responding to this new rescission order.

STPP has also prepared a chart showing how the three FY’06 rescission orders affected the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement program (CMAQ) and Transportation Enhancements program -- http://www.transact.org/km/FinalFY06CMAQandTERescissionsTable.doc

This chart clearly shows that these two relatively small programs – representing less that 10 percent of annual spending authority to the states – absorbed a disproportionate share of state rescissions during FY’06. The chart also makes it possible to compare CMAQ and TE rescissions to each state’s total rescission amount for FY’06.

One additional note, safety programs have been exempted from rescission orders. It is a good thing because states are beginning to accumulate program balances in these categories.

U.S. DOT Releases Final Statewide and Metropolitan Planning Rule. Visit our Planning Rule page for more information: http://narc.org/activities/transportation/planning-rule.html

Apply for ITS Congestion Management Grants

The USDOT Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA) is seeking Applications for Funding under Intelligent Transportation Systems Operational Testing to Mitigate Congestion Program. This program will award $100 million over three years for innovative projects and local pilot programs that seek to reduce congestion using any of the following methods: Tolling, Transit, Telecommuting or Technology & Operations. The awarded money is very flexible, and can be used to expand existing programs, create new ones, or test new technologies. View more information

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Calls on Nation’s Most Congested Cities to Join the Fight Against Congestion

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary E. Peters urged state and city transportation officials to respond to a request for proposals to partner with the Department of Transportation to fight traffic congestion in the Nation’s major metropolitan areas.

“Our quality of life and continued economic prosperity demand that we find creative solutions to the growing burden of congestion,” said Secretary Peters. “We want to work with forward thinking state and local leaders to find new ways to get people and goods moving again.”

Through the “Urban Partnership Agreement,” the Department would provide qualified states and metropolitan areas, known as “Urban Partners,” with a combination of grants, loans, credit support, regulatory relief and technical assistance to operationally test advanced technologies, such as ramp metering and real-time travel information systems, designed to reduce traffic congestion. In return, the Department’s Urban Partners would be expected to research, develop and showcase strategies believed to be effective on a combined basis in actually reducing traffic congestion in the near term. Those strategies include implementation of variable rush hour pricing, otherwise known as “congestion pricing”; expanded transit services for commuters; employer commitments to expand telecommuting and/or flexible scheduling options for employees; and an expanded focus on reducing the impact of incidents, like crashing, on causing traffic tie ups.

In addition, Urban Partners would be encouraged to explore opportunities to partner with the private sector to implement these solutions quickly and cost effectively.

Secretary Peters urged transportation officials to apply to enter into a new “Urban Partnership Agreement” with the Department. The program, outlined in a Federal Register notice issued today, is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Strategy to Reduce Congestion on America’s Transportation Network. It requests that all applications be received by April 30, 2007. Secretary Peters expects the results to be announced by August 8, 2007.

Actions:

Click here for the attached Federal Register Notice issued on behalf of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and various modal administrations as a notice of solicitation for applications to enter into urban partnerships with DOT.

Applications for Urban Partnership Agreements as a Part of Congestion Initiative – the purpose of the Notice is to solicit proposals by metropolitan areas in order to demonstrate strategies with a combined track record of effectiveness in reducing traffic congestion. DOT expects to use discretionary funding available under its Intelligent Transportation System Operational Testing to Mitigate Congestion Program and other discretionary grant, lending and credit support programs administered by the Department.

For additional information concerning this Notice, please contact Mr. David Horner, Esq., Chief Counsel, FTA at David.horner@dot.gov. Please address technical questions to either Thomas McNamara at 202-366-4462 or Thomas.mcnamara@dot.gov or Patrick DeCorla-Souza at 202-366-4076 or Patrick.decorla-souza@dot.gov.
FTA will be posting this Notice on its public website within its Legislation, Regulations & Circulars/Guidance navigation section under Federal Register Notices.

Comments on the Proposed Rules for Metropolitan and Statewide Planning Submitted
To help our members review and comment on the proposed rules for on Metropolitan and Statewide Transportation Planning, NARC released its Comment Posting System. This system broke down the rules into easily-managed sections, and provided a dedicated message board for members to comment on and discuss.

Click Here for more Transportation Policy information

SAFETEA-LU Expires In:

NARC’s transportation staff is available to answer any questions you may have.
Email Fred Abousleman, Executive Director or call 202.986.1032 ext. 216
Email Erika Young, Transportation Director or call ext. 212

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updated February 17, 2010
US DOT Announces $1.5 Billion in TIGER Grants

Today, US DOT announced $1.5 billion in Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grants. The awards were fairly geographically diverse and focused heavily on rail projects that are both goods and passenger focused. Additionally, bicycle and pedestrian related projects received a large amount of funding. US DOT has also released the following items, which seek to give greater detail in the manner in which the funds were granted. They include:

one-sheet list of TIGER grant awards multi-state with total project cost (93KB, .pdf)
two-page listing of TIGER grant awards by state vs requests (86KB, .pdf)
official list from USDOT containing more detailed project descriptions (4MB, .pdf)

Updated December 22, 2008
President-Elect Obama Names Congressman Ray LaHood (R-IL, 18th) USDOT Secretary

Click HERE to read the Associated Press article, “Transportation pick known as bipartisan politician.”

Updated November 14, 2008
Gary Gallegos Testified Before House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, October 29

House panel to examine infrastructure investment (10/27/2008)

Josh Voorhees, E&E Daily reporter

The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee will meet this week to discuss financing options for the nation's crumbling infrastructure.

Other options that are being discussed include a variety of pricing schemes and user fees, as well as attempts to harness private investment through public-private partnerships.

Schedule: The hearing is Wednesday, Oct. 29, at 9:30 a.m. in 2167 Rayburn.

Updated August 15, 2008
FY09 Appropriations Update for Transportation

Click HERE for the fiscal year 2009 appropriations status with a breakdown for transportation. Please contact Shannon Menard if you have any questions or require further information.

Updated May 14, 2008
Every transportation dollar counts
From Land Line Magazine

Some federal budget and transportation officials say every dollar paid for transportation must be accounted for. They also say the public deserves a quality return on the taxes and user fees paid into the system for infrastructure.

Officials testifying before a joint committee hearing of U.S. House budget and transportation leaders said population growth, increasing traffic counts and congestion are outgrowing the nation’s infrastructure of highways, rail, transit and water systems.

Patricia Dalton, managing director of the physical infrastructure team for the Government Accountability Office, was one of two federal officials testifying at the hearing Thursday, May 8, before the House Budget Committee on Financing Infrastructure Investment and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

Dalton said the nation’s 4 million miles of roads, 600,000 bridges and 117,000 miles of rail are under strain, and the government has to rethink the way it invests in infrastructure.

“Given these types of challenges and the federal government’s fiscal outlook, it is clear that the federal government cannot continue with business as usual,” Dalton stated. “Rather, a fundamental re-examination of government programs, policies, and activities is needed.”

“Prudent use of taxpayer dollars is always important,” she said.

The math regarding needs and current spending is basic, suggested Peter Orszag, director of the Congressional Budget Office, when he testified during the hearing.

Orszag said that just to maintain the current level of performance for highways – without upgrading the system or adding capacity – the federal government would need to commit at least $79 billion per year, which is $12 billion more than is currently spent.

“Estimates from the Federal Highway Administration and other sources indicate that additional spending of up to tens of billions of dollars each year on transportation infrastructure projects could be justified,” Orszag said.

Substantially more dollars would be needed for adding capacity to the infrastructure, he said.

Some experts, including members of the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission, believe investment in transportation should be in the neighborhood of $225 billion per year, including money for new and upgraded capacity.

House Budget Committee Chairman John Spratt, D-SC, chaired the hearing. He said public infrastructure, including highways, rail, transit and water systems, is the lifeline of the economy.

“Despite their vital importance, infrastructure investments have not kept pace with repair, maintenance and the need for expansion or replacement,” Spratt said.

Discussions about funding are taking on a whole new importance as members of the U.S. House and Senate have begun preparing to write legislation that will become the next generation of transportation funding policy.

That legislation is due from Congress in 2009, when the current funding legislation known as SAFETEA-LU is scheduled to expire. SAFETEA-LU is the Safe, Accountable, Fair, Efficient Transportation Equity Act – A Legacy for Users, was signed into law two years after its 2003 deadline.

Click HERE to view the hearing.

Updated April 24, 2008
U.S. DOT Seeks Innovative Research Proposals from Small Businesses to Solve Multimodal Transportation Challenges
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA) announced the first of two Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) program solicitations for 2008, inviting small businesses to submit innovative research proposals that address high priority national transportation goals. RITA has set a new strategic direction for the program this year, with a heightened emphasis on proposals that would provide cost-effective, multi-modal solutions to the nation’s most pressing transportation challenges in areas such as bridge condition monitoring technology and data collection, hazardous materials tracking and incident response, adaptive traffic signal control, and rail, motorcycle and pedestrian safety research. The SBIR program is administered by RITA’s Volpe National Transportation Systems Center on behalf of DOT’s Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization. Proposals are due by June 3, 2008. The solicitation is available online at http://www.volpe.dot.gov/sbir/current.html. Contact: Kim Riddle: 202-366-5128.

U.S. Department of Transportation Approves Continuation of Inland GPS Operations
The U.S. Department of Transportation approved a decision to continue the inland component of the National Differential Global Positioning System (NDGPS), which provides an accurate, highly-reliable, real-time GPS correction signal. The decision is based on the results of the NDGPS user assessment conducted by the Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA). RITA followed the plan announced in the Federal Register notice on NDGPS (72 FR 42219), assessing the current user needs and systems requirements for the inland component of NDGPS. The notice listed 10 factors for consideration. Information was gathered on these 10 factors through public responses to the notice (including responses from state and local governments, the private sector, and the non-profit sector), and through quantification of the mission requirements of other federal agencies using inland NDGPS. Discussions are ongoing regarding the future funding mechanism for inland NDGPS, and will be addressed in future budget submissions. This decision was endorsed by the National Space-Based Positioning, Navigation and Timing Executive Committee at their meeting of March 20, and publicly announced at the PNT Advisory Committee meeting on March 27. Contact: Kim Riddle 202-366-5128.

Secretary Peters Proposes 25 Percent Increase in Fuel Efficiency Standards Over 5 Years for Passenger Vehicles, Light Trucks
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Contact: Brian Turmail, Tel.: (202) 366-4570
DOT 56-08

Fuel efficiency standards for both passenger vehicles and light trucks would increase by 4.5 percent per year over the five-year period ending in 2015 – a 25 percent total improvement that exceeds the 3.3 percent baseline proposed by Congress last year – under an ambitious new proposal announced today by U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters.

“This proposal is historically ambitious, yet achievable,” Secretary Peters said. “It will help us all breathe a little easier by reducing tailpipe emissions, cutting fuel consumption and making driving a little more affordable.”

For passenger cars, the proposal would increase fuel economy from the current 27.5 miles per gallon to 35.7 miles per gallon by 2015. For light trucks, the proposal calls for increases from 23.5 miles per gallon in 2010 to 28.6 miles per gallon in 2015.

All told, the proposal will save nearly 55 billion gallons of fuel and a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions estimated at 521 million metric tons. The plan will save America’s drivers over $100 billion in fuel costs over the lifetime of the vehicles covered by the rule, Secretary Peters said.

As required by Congress, the proposed rule allows for automakers to earn credits for exceeding Corporate Average Fuel Economy, or CAFE, standards. This will serve as an incentive for companies to exceed these goals while giving manufacturers flexibility to meet the standards without compromising their economic vitality. The goal is to save fuel, not endanger jobs, Secretary Peters said.

”Looking at the fuel-efficient technologies already available, it’s easy to see a not-too-distant future when cars fueled by something other than gasoline will be readily available and affordable,” Secretary Peters said. “Until that time, however, we will continue to do what we can, safely and efficiently, to improve gas mileage and help consumers spend less time and less money at the pump.”

Over the last six years, the Administration has twice made changes to the nation’s CAFE standards, including the first since 1975 to increase mileage requirements for light trucks. Last year, President Bush called for an energy plan that goes even further by requiring attribute-based fuel efficiency standards for passenger vehicles. A copy of the CAFE proposal can be found at www.nhtsa.gov.

Updated April 10, 2008
"Bridges to the Future: A vision for infrastructure in the 21st century,"
Popular Mechanics and the National Science Foundation present "Bridges to the Future: A vision for infrastructure in the 21st century," a webcast discussion exploring the best ideas for improving American infrastructure and building a better, safer future. The sessions are all call-in programs, with conversation driven by the questions that come in live from decision makers, the research community and the public. The webcast can be accessed by clicking HERE.

Updated April 9, 2008
Transportation Issues Go to Back of Campaign Line
From CQ Politics, By Colby Itkowitz

When the I-35W bridge collapsed in Minneapolis last August, it was seen as a wake-up call for officials to deal with the nation’s aging infrastructure.

But while many delegates, elected officials and others attending this summer’s Republican National Convention in St. Paul may find themselves passing nearby the site of the disaster, they are not likely to hear much talk about the issue in the presidential campaign.

“It’s not entirely clear why the needs of the country continue to get shortchanged during elections and frankly during administrations in both parties,” said Ed Wytkind, president of the AFL-CIO’s Transportation Trades Department.

Historically, transportation issues have been afterthoughts in presidential politics, lacking the attention garnered by more high-profile subjects like national security, the economy in general or even the attacks-of-the-day traded back and forth between candidates.

Immediately after the bridge collapse in Minnesota, which killed 13 people, a commitment to invest in upgrading the country’s infrastructure seemed sure to be a priority. But that sense of urgency faded out and the subject did, not even get a mention in President Bush’s State of the Union address five months later.

Not since President Eisenhower more than 50 years ago committed to building an interstate highway system has any president or candidate built a platform on transportation.

And this primary season is no different.

On the campaign Web sites of the remaining candidates: Arizona Sen. John McCain, New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, only Obama offers a plan for transportation that can be found when scrolling through his issue statements and clicking on “additional issues.”

A spokesman for the Obama campaign said the Illinois senator would support improvements to the nation’s infrastructure if elected president.

“It’s not a hot-button issue, but he’s made a point of campaigning close to the ground,” the spokesman said. “While it may not come up in cable news, it does come up at town halls or the local diner. It’s something he hears from the voters and it tends to hit close to home for people.”

Off the Radar
The 12-member National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission released a report on Jan. 15 that said the federal government needed to spend $225 billion a year in infrastructure for a half-century to build the kind of transportation system the nation needs to stay competitive, but it’s often considered political suicide to champion spending money.

“There’s a dearth of discussion amongst the candidates on either side of the aisle,” said John Horsley, executive director of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. “Compared to what we see happening elsewhere in the world, that’s disappointing. The rest of the world gets it, but it doesn’t appear to be on the radar here.”

Members of Congress, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, have begun discussing ways to finance infrastructure in preparation for the authorization of a major highway bill in 2009. The next president’s administration will be tasked with working with Congress on the measure. But the presidential candidates are mostly mum right now since it will almost certainly mean raising taxes.

“If there is any reason why it has not gotten its appropriate place (in the campaign) I’m sure it’s because of the financing that doesn’t make for good campaign fodder,” said Robert Puentes, a Brookings Institute fellow in the Metropolitan Policy Program. “It’s disappointing, but it’s not surprising.”

Both Clinton and Obama have come out in support of funding streams such as a national infrastructure bank that would create public-private partnerships to fund large transportation projects. Clinton signed a letter in January encouraging $5 billion be placed in the economic stimulus package for transportation infrastructure projects. On March 27, Obama said he was in favor of congestion pricing to raise money to fund highways.

Transportation experts feel fairly certain they can count on Obama and Clinton even if they don’t discuss transportation on the stump. They are worried about McCain, one of a handful of senators who voted against final passage of a highway bill in 2005. He maintains a hard line against Amtrak and resists federal spending, they said.
McCain’s campaign did not return calls for comment.

“Both Obama and Clinton have at least talked about the need to reinvest in America. I don’t think they go nearly far enough, but they have clearly showed some commitment to the issue,” Wytkind said. “If McCain is elected it will be George W. Bush all over again, maybe even worse. I defy you to find anyone with a worse record.”

USDOT Report Details that Freight Lines Cause Delays for Amtrak

Yesterday the Department of Transportation’s inspector general released a report detailing that Amtrak lost almost $137 million in fiscal 2006 as a result of freight railroad delays. The report suggests that Amtrak increase payments to host railroads as an incentive for them to help keep the rail service on-time. This report was requested by Senator Lautenberg (D-NJ).

Last fall, the Senate passed legislation S 294, the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2007, to authorize $11.6 billion in federal rail investment over six years. The House, however, has yet to write a companion bill. House Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Oberstar (D-MN) expects to begin drafting an Amtrak bill this month.

The full report can be access by clicking HERE.

Updated March 14, 2008
Opinion: Traffic safety AND mobility: dual imperatives, not trade-offs

March 14, 2008
Written by: Dick Hanneman
http://www.bizcentral.org/salt-institute/2008/03/traffic-safety-and-mobility-du.php.

The American Automobile Association last week released The AAA Crashes vs. Congestion Report arguing that societal costs from traffic fatalities and injuries is more than double the costs of congestion. Good reminder. We object only to the "versus" separating the twin concerns. We must insist on roads that are safe and congestion-free.

The study by Cambridge Systematics estimates that traffic crashes cost each American $1,051 for a total economic burden on the economy of $164.2 billion. Data from the Texas Transportation Institute put the tab for congestion at $67.6 billion or $430 per person. With Congress readying itself to tackle reauthorization of the federal surface transportation program next year and with the federal Highway Trust Fund approaching insolvency, these measures should be front-and-center in the public policy discussion.

For years, the anti-highway lobby has inveighed against "paving over America" and the highway lobby has foolishly cast the argument in terms of the deteriorating condition of the nation's roads and bridges. Too true. And when the I-35W bridge plunged into the Mississippi, the poignancy of the roadbuilders' lament was manifest. The thought of an aging and inadequate roadway infrastructure contributing to the 42,642 people killed last year on American roads is totally unacceptable. We know most of those deaths are avoidable and now we know the cost of under-funding highway improvements.

The quality of the policy debate, however, would be improved if we move beyond contesting the number of "structurally deficient" bridges or pothole-pocked or rutted roadway surfaces. Nor should we accept the notion that we need to starve investments in congestion relief to pay for safer roads. The two go hand in hand. Non-recurring congestion (the kind not caused by "rush hour") is associated with clearing traffic crashes and combating weather conditions like snow & ice storms that contribute so much to those crashes. Simply applying salt as part of a professional winter operations program cuts 88.3% of the injury crashes and keeps the roads reliably available for our mobile society. In fact, in most states, the cost of failing to keep winter roads open through winter maintenance operations generally costs more for each day of failure than the annual cost of snowfighting (data by Global Insight, Inc.).

As Congress sets up the debate on highway spending, let's focus attention on the outcomes we can expect our roads to deliver. We shouldn't be building roads to create jobs (or re-elect politicos) nor should we endanger drivers' lives and our national economic competitiveness by short-sightedly opposing transportation improvements due to suspicion over the self-interested motivation of construction companies. Let's measure transportation outcomes -- the service we driver are paying for through our gas taxes -- and invest to reduce the tragic waste of more than 40,000 lives every year and reverse the corrosive erosion of reliable highway mobility caused by congestion.

And let's let the engineers and the Federal Highway Administration's Office of Operations help us define the choices rather than jury-rig our national highway priorities through Congressional earmarks.

It's not AAA versus AASHTO (the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials). Both AAA and AASHTO care deeply about BOTH safety and mobility. Let's not make this mountain tougher to scale than it already is.

To access AAA’s report, please visit http://www.aaanewsroom.net/Assets/Files/20083591910.CrashesVsCongestionFullReport2.28.08.pdf.

Updated March 12, 2008
Department of Transportation Releases Study of Potential Environmental Impacts on Transportation Infrastructure in U.S. Central Gulf Coast

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has released a study on the potential impacts of climate changes and land subsidence, the natural sinking of an area’s land mass, on transportation infrastructure in the U.S. Gulf Coast region. Today’s release is phase one of a three part study.

“This study provides transportation planners in the Gulf Coast region with valuable information that will assist them as they make decisions for the future,” said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary E. Peters.

The Impacts of Climate Change and Variability on Transportation Systems and Infrastructure: Gulf Coast Study, Phase I, provides an assessment of the vulnerabilities of transportation systems in the region to potential changes in weather patterns and related impacts, as well as the effect of natural land subsidence and other environmental factors in the region. The area examined by the study includes 48 contiguous counties in four states, running from Galveston, TX to Mobile, AL.

Based on 21 simulation models and a range of emissions scenarios, the study found that potential changes in climate over the next 50 to100 years could disrupt transportation services in the region. Twenty-seven percent of major roads, 9 percent of rail lines, and 72 percent of area ports are at or below 4 feet in elevation, and could be vulnerable to flooding due to future sea level rise and natural sinking of the area’s land mass. The study is designed to help state and local officials as they develop their transportation plans and make investment decisions. Federal transportation officials will continue to work closely with state and local planners as they incorporate the study into their planning processes.

Subsequent phases of the study will focus on risks and adaptation strategies involved in planning, investment, design and operational decisions for infrastructure in the Gulf Coast region and nationwide. The study was performed in partnership with the U.S. Geological Survey and state and local researchers, and is one of 21 “synthesis and assessment” reports produced as part of the U.S. Climate Change Science Program.

The study is available online at http://climate.dot.gov.

Updated March 11, 2008
Climate Change Will Have a Significant Impact on Transportation Infrastructure and Operations
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Climate Change Will Have a Significant Impact on Transportation Infrastructure and Operations; Research, Tools, Action Needed to Pinpoint Vulnerabilities

WASHINGTON -- While every mode of transportation in the U.S. will be affected as the climate changes, potentially the greatest impact on transportation systems will be flooding of roads, railways, transit systems, and airport runways in coastal areas because of rising sea levels and surges brought on by more intense storms, says a new report from the National Research Council. Though the impacts of climate change will vary by region, it is certain they will be widespread and costly in human and economic terms, and will require significant changes in the planning, design, construction, operation, and maintenance of transportation systems.

The U.S. transportation system was designed and built for local weather and climate conditions, predicated on historical temperature and precipitation data. The report finds that climate predictions used by transportation planners and engineers may no longer be reliable, however, in the face of new weather and climate extremes. Infrastructure pushed beyond the range for which it was designed can become stressed and fail, as seen with loss of the U.S. 90 Bridge in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.

"The time has come for transportation professionals to acknowledge and confront the challenges posed by climate change, and to incorporate the most current scientific knowledge into the planning of transportation systems," said Henry Schwartz Jr., past president and chairman of Sverdrup/Jacobs Civil Inc., and chair of the committee that wrote the report. "It is now possible to project climate changes for large subcontinental regions, such as the Eastern United States, a scale better suited for considering regional and local transportation infrastructure."

The committee identified five climate changes of particular importance to U.S. transportation; 1) increases in very hot days and heat waves; 2) increases in Arctic temperatures; 3) rising sea levels; 4) increases in intense precipitation events; and 5) increases in hurricane intensity.

In addition to climate changes, there are a number of contributing factors that will likely lead to vulnerabilities in coastal-area transportation systems. Population is projected to grow in coastal areas, which will boost demand for transportation infrastructure and increase the number of people and businesses potentially in harm's way; erosion and loss of wetlands have removed crucial buffer zones that once protected infrastructure; and an estimated 60,000 miles of coastal highways are already exposed to periodic storm flooding.

"Rising temperatures may trigger weather extremes and surprises, such as more rapid melting of the Arctic sea ice than projected," Schwartz said. "The highways that currently serve as evacuation routes and endure periodic flooding could be compromised with strong hurricanes and more intense precipitation, making some of these routes impassable." Transportation providers will need to focus on evacuation planning and work more closely with weather forecasters and emergency planners.

Infrastructure vulnerabilities will extend beyond coastal areas as the climate continues to change. In the Midwest, for instance, increased intense precipitation could augment the severity of flooding, as occurred in 1993 when farmland, towns, and transportation routes were severely damaged from flooding along 500 miles of the Mississippi and Missouri river systems. On the other hand, drier conditions are likely to prevail in the watersheds supplying the St. Lawrence Seaway and the Great Lakes as well as the Upper Midwest river system. Lower water levels would reduce vessel shipping capacity, seriously impairing freight movements in the region, such as occurred during the drought of 1988, which stranded barge traffic on the Mississippi River. And in California, heat waves may increase wildfires that can destroy transportation infrastructure.

Not all climate changes will be negative, however. Marine transportation could benefit from more open seas in the Arctic, creating new and shorter shipping routes and reducing transport time and costs. In cold regions, rising temperatures could reduce the costs of snow and ice control and would make travel conditions safer for passenger vehicles and freight.

Preparing for projected climate changes will be costly. Transportation decision makers continually make short- and long-term investment decisions that affect how the infrastructure will respond to climate change. Response measures range from rehabilitating and retrofitting infrastructure to making major additions to constructing entirely new infrastructure. The committee noted the need for "a more strategic, risk-based approach to investment decisions that trades off the costs of making the infrastructure more robust against the economic costs of failure." In the future, climate changes in some areas may necessitate permanent alterations. For example, roads, rail lines, and airport runways in low-lying coastal areas may become casualties of sea-level rise, requiring relocations or expensive protective measures, such as sea walls and levees.

The report calls for the federal government to have a strong role in implementing many of its recommendations that require broad-based action or regulation, such as the creation of a clearinghouse for information on transportation and climate change; the establishment of a research program to re-evaluate existing design standards and develop new standards for addressing climate change; creation of an interagency working group on adaptation; changes in federal regulations regarding long-range planning guidelines and infrastructure rehabilitation requirements; and re-evaluation of the National Flood Insurance Program and updating flood insurance rate maps with climate change in mind.

Many of the committee's recommendations need not wait for federal action. Local governments and private infrastructure providers can begin to identify critical infrastructure that is particularly vulnerable to climate change. Professional organizations can single out examples of best practices, and transportation planners and climate scientists can begin collaboration on the development of regional scenarios for likely climate-related changes and the data needed to analyze their impacts. Focusing on the challenges now could help avoid costly transportation investments and disruptions to operations in the future.

This report is a collaborative effort between the Transportation Research Board and the Division on Earth and Life Studies of the National Research Council. The sponsors of this report are the Transportation Research Board, National Cooperative Highway Research Program, U.S. Department of Transportation, Transit Cooperative Research Program, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. A committee roster and two charts follow.

Copies of Potential Impacts of Climate Change on U.S. Transportation are available from the Transportation Research Board; tel. 202-334-3213 or on the Internet at http://www.TRB.org.

Overview of FY2009 Presidential Budget Request for Transportation

Despite Amtrak’s record ridership numbers for Fiscal Year 2007, for the second year in a row the Bush Administration proposes slashing Amtrak’s budget. After being funded by Congress at $1.325 billion in Fiscal Year 2008 (operations, capital improvements, and debt service), the President’s budget requests $800 million for Amtrak -- $275 million for operations and $525 for capital improvements. In addition, the budget promotes inner-city passenger rail by including $100 million for matching capital grants to states to use at their direction. Last fall, the Senate passed a six-year, $11.4 billion Amtrak reauthorization bill, and the House Transportation Committee is expected to draft and take up a similar measure in the first few months of 2008.

Mass Transit - The President's budget would cut $202.1 million below the $10.3 billion guaranteed in SAFETEA-LU.

Airport Improvement Program (AIP) - Reduces funding commitments to AIP by $765 million, representing a 22% decrease of current spending. The Administration also announced its intent to withhold the awarding of $3.5 billion in FY08 AIP grants until the FAA is reauthorized.

Essential Air Service (EAS) - Reduces funding by $60 million.

The Administration proposes $688 million to upgrade the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) air traffic control capabilities from its existing air navigation system to the Next Generation Air Transportation System, a seemingly critical step to safely and efficiently handle the increase in air travel in the coming years and decades. This funding also includes the ability to hire over 300 new air traffic controllers. Overall, the FAA safety and operations budget is $11.9 billion, a $493 million increase.

A 50-cent per flight ticket tax/user fee, a highly unpopular idea in Congress in the last several years, is included to help pay for increases in security operations at the Transportation Security Administration.

The Federal Highway Administration sees a reduction in its budget, limiting its obligations to $39.4 billion, down $1.8 billion from Fiscal Year 2008. The Department of Transportation will see about a 10% cut in its overall budget. SAFETEA-LU guarantees $41.2 billion for highways in FY 2009, but the Administration proposes to provide only $39.4 billion.

House T&I Chairman Oberstar Applauds House Budget Resolution

"I am extremely pleased that the fiscal year 2009 Budget Resolution, approved by the Committee on the Budget, recognizes the critical importance of meeting our nation’s infrastructure investment needs, even while achieving a balanced budget by 2012. The Budget Resolution vigorously rejects the short-sighted policies of the President’s budget, which cuts virtually every infrastructure investment program within the jurisdiction of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, including highways, public transit, airports, Amtrak, wastewater treatment, and water resources development."

To read Oberstar’s complete floor statement, please visit http://transportation.house.gov/Media/File/JLO%20statement%20FY%202009%20budget%20resolution.pdf.

NHI Training: FHWA-NHI-380073 Fundamentals of Planning, Design, and Approval of Interchange Improvements to the Interstate System
This training provides participants with a basic knowledge of freeway systems and interchange types, FHWA policy on justification for interchange access approval, and applications of technical knowledge and policy understanding to interchange project decisions. Topics covered in this course include service and system interchange types, 8-point interchange justification process, interchange study and selection process, fundamentals of freeway system operations and planning, urban freeway diagnosis, geometric design considerations, and technical and documentation procedures. For additional details, click here.

New Strategy to Help the Nation's Ports Go Green
EPA has unveiled a new plan of action for working with public port authorities and other interested groups to reduce the environmental impacts of moving goods through ports. The "Vision, Mission, and Strategy for Sustainable Ports" recognizes the steady growth in global maritime commerce and the critical role American ports and related transportation and supply chain partners play in managing the environmental impacts of moving goods across the country.

EPA's Strategy focuses on six themes:

Clean Air and Affordable Energy

Clean and Safe Water

Healthy Communities and Eco-systems

Global Environment

Ports Communications

Enforcement

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