Federal Transportation Issues

Blog on Hiatus

2011-04-04T12:26:00.000-07:00

I'm in the process of leaving WSDOT, so the blog will be on hiatus for awhile. Please contact Willy Leiste at LeisteW@wsdot.wa.gov if you have questions.

I've had a blast providing you with short, plain-English stories about federal transportation policy and funding, answering your questions, and helping you navigate the mysteries of the federal government. I will continue to be involved in transportation issues, and writing about it.

Thank you for your feedback which was always positive and encouraging. Contact me at Larry.ehl@frontier.com if you'd like to stay in touch.

Monday Update: Federal Transportation News

2011-03-21T10:49:00.001-07:00

Congress is in recess this week, with most members meeting with constituents across their district or state. Legislative activity resumes on March 28.

Appropriations: Last week Congress passed a bill extending FY 2011 funding through April 8^th. It included spending reductions of about $6B. No transportation cuts were included this time. Most of the reductions are the last of the “low hanging fruit” that both chambers, both parties, and the White House could agree on.

Reaching agreement on the final FY 2011 will be much more difficult. The Senate and House are deeply divided about the next round of spending reductions; at the same time, more and more members oppose any further short term bills. Leadership in both chambers and in both parties opposed a government shutdown, but that’s still a possibility.

The spending cuts in the current 2011 funding bill are focused in agriculture, commerce, justice, state and interior programs.

SAFETEA-LU is extended through September 30th, 2011.

Other news:

Senators introduce The Build Act to create an infrastructure bank to fund transportation, water, energy and communications projects. The WA Post covers it, and the NYT editorializes in favor.

AASHTO offered five recommendations to USDOT for streamlining project delivery. USDOT held the meeting in response to an executive order requiring federal agencies to ensure regulations protect the nation's safety, public health, and environment while promoting economic growth. It also orders a review of existing rules to remove outdated or ineffective regulations that stifle job creation and make America's economy less competitive.

The House Transportation Committee approved its Fiscal Year 2012 budget views and estimates which recommends funding reductions and increased efficiencies for many programs. The 30-page document does not provide recommended funding levels, but does provide a number of policy objectives.

An example: "The Committee is supportive of eliminating surface transportation programs that are no longer in the Federal interest and consolidating programs that overlap or are duplicative. ..." (p. 17)” is perceived by some as an attempt to restructure or end the Enhancements program. Bike/ped projects might – might – continue, but transportation museums and beautification projects will almost certainly not be funded if the majority has its way. "Views and Estimates of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure for Fiscal Year 2012," is available at bit.ly/HTIC-VE12.

The Aviation authorization will probably be extended once more, through the end of May.

Why The Senate Can't Pass a 2011 Budget

2011-03-08T07:54:00.000-08:00

This comment from West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin probably explains it best: "[B]oth our options are extremely partisan and unrealistic. And neither one will pass. The first is a Democratic proposal that doesn't go nearly far enough. This proposal, which calls for $6.5 billion in new cuts, utterly ignores our fiscal reality ... Or, we could choose a second, even more flawed measure: a GOP proposal that blindly hacks the budget with no sense of our priorities or of our values as a country."

"Freshman Democrat Joe Manchin: Obama has 'failed to lead' on budget," Politico

Monday Update: Federal Transportation News

2011-03-07T15:09:00.000-08:00

Last week the President signed into law a bill (H.R. 662) to extend SAFETEA-LU through September 30, 2011. The House vote was 421-4, and the Senate passed the bill by a voice vote.

The President also signed into law a bill (HJR.44, PL 112-4) that continues funding for federal agencies through March 18. Congress enacted this two-week funding bill to provide more time to negotiate the wide differences between the Senate and House bills. The bill cuts nearly $1 billion in transportation programs and earmarks.

The House continues to press for a bill that would cut FFY 2011 spending by $61 billion. The Senate has revised its bill to reduce spending by $10.5 billion. The Senate will take a couple of test votes this week, which will show there's insufficient support for either of the current proposals.

Negotiations will continue, but it's very possible another short-term spending bill will be needed. If no compromise is then reached, both sides may be willing to suffer through a government shut down to help determine once and for all what the public will support.

Transportation hearings scheduled for this week:

Tuesday
House Transportation and Infrastructure, Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment: the President's FFY 2012 budget request for federal water infrastructure programs, 11am (Pacific).

Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation, full committee hearing: USDOT's FFY 2012 budget request, 11:30am (Pacific).

Wednesday
House Appropriations, Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development: FFY 2012 Army Corps of Engineers civil works budget request, 11am (Pacific)

Senate Environment and Public Works, full committee hearing: USDOT's FY 2012 budget request for the Federal Highway Administration, 11:15am (Pacific).

Thursday
Senate Appropriations, Subcommittee on Transportation and Housing: USDOT's FFY 2012 budget request, 6:30am (Pacific)

Friday
House Transportation and Infrastructure -- Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials: increasing private sector participation in passenger rail service, 7am (Pacific).

Rewind: Last Week's Stories

2011-02-28T07:30:00.000-08:00

Will USDOT Shut Down This Friday?

WSDOT, USDOT Finalize $590 Million For Passenger Rail

Budget Map Compares Transportation Spending To Rest Of Budget

Columbian's Coverage of Mica Session

Twitter Coverage of House Transport Listening Session

Federal Officials Will Hear Suggestions for SAFETEA-LU Reauthorization, and National Export Initiative

House Transportation Committee Sponsors Native American Roundtable

Conference: National Safe Routes To Schools

Patty Murray Statement on Securing $590 Million for Passenger Rail Service

Lahood Statement on Investing $590 Million In WA Passenger Rail Service

Monday Update: Federal Transportation News

2011-02-27T22:14:00.000-08:00

The Senate and House return to DC after a week-long recess for an in-district/state work period.

One issue will dominate the week, a proposal to continue 2011 spending for two weeks and avoid a government shutdown. The situation is very fluid, but at this point it appears the House and Senate have agreed on a two-week continuation of 2011 funding that will avoid a government shutdown. the harder negotiation will be determining the spending level for the remainder of the fiscal year. See Will USDOT Shut Down This Friday? for more details.

One other issue this week is of high interest to transportation stakeholders: a likely vote to extend SAFETEA-LU through September 30th, 2011. The bill would continue current funding levels, and includes no policy changes. The current extension of SAFETEA-LU expires at midnight this Friday (March 4).

Congressional transportation committee leaders continue to gather input and draft a multi-year authorization bill. Meanwhile, the President released a broad and general proposal for a six-year $551 billion plan to replace SAFETEA-LU. The proposal does not include a funding mechanism, and it is unclear if and when more details might be released. The President’s plan is focused on “fix-it-first” instead of adding capacity, and would consolidate over 55 highway programs into five programs and merge five transit programs into two programs to expedite project planning and delivery. The House Transportation Committee held field hearings and listening sessions across the country last week, including Vancouver.

The House’s proposed 2011 spending bill contains a number of cuts to transportation programs. Most of the spending reductions come from eliminating 2010 funding for passenger rail, TIGER, and transit New Starts programs that has not been contractually obligated, and eliminating proposed 2011 funding for those programs. Proposed 2011 transportation earmarks were also eliminated, including approximately $221 million designated for 57 projects in WA State.

Status Reports on legislation:

Authorization, SAFETEA-LU
T-LU is extended through March 4 2011, per language in the continuing resolution. This week Congress should pass a bill extending SAFETEA-LU through September 30, 2011. Congress will continue to work on a multi-year bill, but most observers think it's unlikely a bill will pass until after the Presidential election. Both the House and Senate have started conducting hearings on a new authorization bill. Related stories: Will Earmark Ban Apply to the Transportation Authorization Bill? and House Field Hearings Will Seek Input On Next Transportation Bill

The House GOP adopted a new legislative rule that will allow the House to allocate less transportation funding than is authorized by SAFETEA-LU. The Senate is not likely to follow suit, setting up a contentious negotiation on the FY 2012 appropriations bills later this year. Read about the potential impact on WA state.

Appropriations
USDOT and federal agencies are funded through March 4. House Republicans have redrafted the House's FFY spending bills, and propose to reduce FY 2011 transportation spending by $11.5 billion. The bill will not include earmarks, with the Senate now following the lead of the House and President Obama.

See these stories for details:
No Earmarks for Two Years, What Happens Next with Earmark Funds?, Omnibus is Dead and What Transportation Lost When the Omnibus Died. The Omnibus bill designated about $221 million to 57 projects in WA state. (The dollar amount was reduced from the earlier Senate draft bill.)

Aviation Authorization:
The Senate and House each passed authorization bills in mid-February. The FAA authorization is currently extended through March 31st, 2011, the 17th extension since the authorization bill expired at the end of fiscal 2007. Another short term extension may be required

Climate Change
Bipartisan legislation to delay EPA's looming regulations of green house gas emissions died last December. Senator Boxer announced she will continue to work to protect EPA authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. Democratic Senator Jay Rockefeller said he would reintroduce legislation to suspend the EPA's authority, and several bills to delay or strip funding for EPA's greenhouse gas rules have been introduced in the House.

Will USDOT Shut Down This Friday?

2011-02-27T21:22:00.000-08:00

Probably not. It appears House Republicans and Senate Democrats are mostly agreed on details of a two-week spending bill for FY 2011 , avoiding a government shutdown. This buys more time for negotiating the final 2011 spending bill - a negotiation that will be much more difficult. The "easy" cuts will be in the two-week bill.

The House proposal reduces spending by about $60 billion compared to 2010, and by about $100 billion compared to the President’s proposal. Senate Democrats oppose such steep cuts, and will propose a bill that reduces spending more moderately. The differences are significant, both sides are dug in, and many Members are predicting negotiations will break down. That would result in federal agencies and programs shutting down until a final spending bill is approved.

The situation is very fluid, but we should know by Wednesday afternoon if the two-week spending bill is going to pass or get hung up.

A report to be issued Monday by Moody Analytics frames the challenge facing Congress. The House proposal would cut an estimated 700,000 jobs through 2012. But the report also notes that reducing deficits down to sustainable levels will require cutting about $400 billion a year through the rest of this decade, even when assuming an economy recovery.

Lahood Statement on Investing $590 Million In WA Passenger Rail Service

2011-02-26T14:05:00.000-08:00

From the USDOT news release:

“President Obama's historic investments in a national high-speed rail network will enable America to win the future by creating construction and manufacturing jobs today and laying the foundation for future economic growth. By building safe, reliable and energy-efficient passenger rail corridors we will be able to help small businesses thrive and move people and goods more quickly than ever before. I am thrilled to congratulate the State of Washington, BNSF, and Amtrak for their contributions to the agreement signed today by the Federal Railroad Administration and Washington DOT that will make $590 million available for work to begin on significant improvements to the popular Cascades corridor, which connects Eugene, Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver. Thanks to the hard work, dedication, and flexibility of all parties involved in the negotiations, this agreement will immediately put Washingtonians to work in good paying jobs, significantly improve rail service for commuters and travelers, and preserve the world-class freight rail system America has today.”

Additional background on the agreement:

‪As part of the President’s long-term vision to give 80% of Americans access to high-speed rail in the next 25 years, this initial $590 million in funding for high-speed and intercity passenger rail will create more than 6,000 direct and indirect jobs in the Washington region. And thanks to the performance standards included in this agreement, travelers will benefit from two additional daily roundtrips between Seattle and Portland, a 10 minute reduction in travel time, and reliability improvements of up to 88%. With the signing of this agreement, 5 of the 6 high-speed rail corridors that require coordination with freight railroads now have a signed agreement in place. The Department of Transportation will build on this momentum to realize President Obama’s vision of a national high-speed rail system that will allow American workers to out-build, out-innovate, and out-compete the rest of the world.

Patty Murray Statement on Securing $590 Million for Passenger Rail Service

2011-02-26T14:04:00.000-08:00

Senator Patty Murray's full statement:

"Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray, Chairman of the Senate Transportation Appropriations Committee, announced that a final agreement to invest $590 million in much needed rail improvements in Washington state had been reached between the federal government, Washington state, and BNSF railways. With this agreement, the job-creating rail projects which Senator Murray supported as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will soon begin along crucial sections of the Cascade rail line that runs from Blaine to Portland.

“At a time when good paying construction jobs are not easy to find, this is welcome news for our state,” said Senator Murray. “This agreement means that we can now get moving on a number of job-creating projects that will get freight and Amtrak trains moving more quickly along the I-5 corridor. And as all of us who have sat in traffic on I-5 know, we need to find better ways to move commuters and goods throughout our state. While this agreement may have been a long time in the making for many of us, the fact is it’s here and it’s time to get workers on the job.”

The agreement, which was signed late last night, is between the Federal Rail Administration (FRA), the Washington State Department of Transportation, and BNSF Railways which operates much of the track along the Cascade corridor. The agreement means that the $590 million in federal funding will now be obligated to the state of Washington to be allocated for several different projects along the rail line.

Recent statistics show that only two-thirds of passenger trains run on time on the 3 ½-hour trip between Seattle and Portland. The state of Washington has estimated that the investments would help eliminate 833 hours of delays annually, according to the state.

The funding obligated today does not include $161 million in rail funding redistributed to Washington in October 2010.

WSDOT, USDOT Finalize $590 Million For Passenger Rail

2011-02-26T13:26:00.000-08:00

WSDOT, Amtrak, BNSF and FRA have signed an agreement to begin spending a $590 million federal high speed rail grant.

The projects funded will result in:

Two additional daily Amtrak Cascades round trips will be added between Seattle and Portland, for a total six, by 2017
On-time reliability is expected to increase from 62 to 88 percent
More consistent speeds will be possible throughout the corridor, resulting in faster travel times between Seattle and Portland
Major construction projects will be completed that will include building bypass tracks to allow for increased train frequency and multiple upgrades to existing track
Several safety-related projects will be completed, including grade separations and the latest technology in advanced-warning signal systems. This will reduce passenger/freight congestion, making passenger travel times shorter with more reliable on-time service.

Reaching the agreement will contractually obligate the $590 million and should prevent the House from rescinding the funding.

Ridership continues to grow on Amtrak Cascades, with a 10 percent increase between 2009 and 2010. Since Amtrak Cascades service began in 1994, annual ridership has increased from 100,000 to 840,000 last year.

WSDOT Secretary Paula Hammond statement:

“Signing this agreement now means work can begin during this year’s construction season,” said Transportation Secretary Paula Hammond, noting that the ARRA funds will create more than 6,000 direct and indirect jobs in the Pacific Northwest. “Ultimately, the goal is to boost the rail-line capacity and relieve mainline congestion, allowing Amtrak Cascades to offer more frequent and reliable passenger rail service between Portland and Seattle.”

Governor Chris Gregoire statement:

“This is another great development for our state in that this rail work will generate thousands of highly skilled construction and operating jobs and result in important improvements in rail passenger service.”

Senator Patty Murray statement:

“At a time when good paying construction jobs are not easy to find, this is welcome news for our state,” said Senator Murray. “This agreement means that we can now get moving on a number of job-creating projects that will get freight and Amtrak trains moving more quickly along the I-5 corridor. And as all of us who have sat in traffic on I-5 know, we need to find better ways to move commuters and goods throughout our state. While this agreement may have been a long time in the making for many of us, the fact is it’s here and it’s time to get workers on the job.”

Rep. Rick Larsen statement:

"This agreement will allow Washington state to begin investing in our high-speed rail system, which will grow the economy by providing good local jobs and helping commerce and passengers travel more efficiently throughout the region," said Rep. Larsen. "I congratulate WSDOT, BNSF and Amtrak for their hard work in completing the stakeholder agreement, which will allow federal grant dollars to immediately go to work creating jobs in our local communities."

USDOT Secretary Ray LaHood statement:

"Thanks to the hard work, dedication, and flexibility of all parties involved in the negotiations, this agreement will immediately put Washingtonians to work in good paying jobs, significantly improve rail service for commuters and travelers, and preserve the world-class freight rail system America has today.”

Look here for additional information on Washington state’s vision for these rail investments.

House Transportation Committee Sponsors Native American Roundtable

2011-02-24T11:30:00.000-08:00

Representative Nick J. Rahall, II (D-WV), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, today announced he is inviting tribal leaders to a Native American Transportation, Infrastructure, and Economic Development Roundtable.

The Roundtable will be held on Wednesday, March 2. The purpose of the Roundtable is to hear about native issues within the Committee’s jurisdiction. An agenda will be provided later.

Federal Officials Will Hear Suggestions for SAFETEA-LU Reauthorization, and National Export Initiative

2011-02-22T07:15:00.000-08:00

Officials from the US Departments of Commerce and Transportation will in Seattle Friday to seek suggestions for the National Export Initiative and SAFETEA-LU reauthorization.

The ports of Tacoma, Seattle and Portland are hosting a roundtable discussion on February 25th to provide feedback to the federal agencies on ways to improve the supply chain in the Pacific Northwest in order to improve our regional and national economies.

This is a unique opportunity to hear from some of our major industries, as well as individuals, about the challenges we face, and possible solutions on the federal level.

PNW Supply Chain Mtg

Conference: National Safe Routes To Schools

2011-02-21T19:54:00.000-08:00

Registration and call for presentations are now open for the 3rd Safe Routes to School National Conference August 16 - 18, 2011, in Minneapolis.

Budget Map Compares Transportation Spending To Rest Of Budget

2011-02-21T19:22:00.000-08:00

This visualization map of the President's proposed 2012 budget shows how small the transportation spending is compared to the rest of government spending. (It's in the lower right quadrant.) Then remember what a small slice of the transportation spending goes to earmarks, and you realized that banning earmarks will have essentially no impact on the budget or reducing the debt. Finally, the map shows where the heavy lifting has to occur in order to reduce federal spending.

"A Budget Map Reveals a Troubled Future", New York Times

Columbian's Coverage of Mica Session

2011-02-21T15:35:00.000-08:00

The Columbian's Marissa Harshman and Stephanie Rice blogged live from the House listening session Monday morning: LIVE BLOG: Congressional transportation hearing

Articles:
Bridge partisans told to focus on nation’s transportation woes

Madore, other CRC project foes make little headway

Twitter Coverage of House Transport Listening Session

2011-02-21T15:31:00.000-08:00

I had to resort to live tweeting from my phone, as I didn't have a wireless connection to blog live.

Here are my tweets, starting with the beginning of the meeting.

Live tweeting House Transport listening session from Vancouver

Room at capacity, 125 people, SRO, at least that many waiting outside & can't get in

Reps Mica, DeFazio (OR), Shuster (PA) & home district Rep Herrera Beutler at listening session

Mica: for those who couldn't get in or may not get to speak, you have 2 weeks to submit comments for record

Herrera Beutler: CRC is most important project, "we gotta get it right". "there are a lot of questions left to answer"

DeFazio: we are not investing enough to maintain current system, much less building system to compete in 21st century.

DeFazio: transportation projects have more private than public sector jobs

Shuster: gotta figure out how to do more with less. CRC good example - how do we bring cost down.

DeFazio - 150,000 bridges on fed system needing serious repair now. Need to invest

Funny. Mica to Hammond: "Put down your statement and tell us what you want to see in the new bill"

Mike Ennis of conservative think tank: Citing MN bridge rebuilt in 437 days as blueprint for feds doing more with less

Mica not interested in anecdotes about WA system. Wants specific examples of leg provisions to modify or eliminate

Mica: Feds need to spend the $35B in RRIF acct and $6B in HMTF instead of raising gas tax.

Hammond: WSDOT is "more strategic with less" instead of "do more with less"

Capell: continue or increase fed funds to MPOs and locals. Critical to matching local funds for projects.

Hammond: better operations, technology, tolling & transit key to getting more from existing system.

AGC rep: streamline permit process. Delegate more authority to states to manage/comply with fed rules

AGC: force FHWA to rule more quickly on contract disputes. WSDOT: yes, process can be onerous. [Note: Hammond added collaboration with FHWA -WA is pretty good but she hears from other DOTs that process is more broken there]

AGC: Feds should use more best practices in rule/law compliance instead of being totally outcome oriented.

CRC opponent: many other large projects around country built for less than CRC estimate. e.g., Hoover Bypass

Mica to CRC critic: so what's your finance plan? What is fed role since states design project?

CRC critic: Feds should require local vote. Don't talk to state/local "bureaucrats". Audience groans loudly.

CRC critic basically implies project supporters influenced by "outside" financial interests. Even louder groans from audience.

WSDOT CRC manager: when multiple fed agencies involved, do simultaneous not serial reviews. The latter=huge delay

OR Iron Works: we just did 1st streetcar built in US in 58 years. Got more orders now. Keep Build America, it works.

Ennis: use more PPPs, more design build. Look at revising prevailing wage. WA should be more aggressive on PPP.

DeFazio: PPPs good in some cases but not all. And they always include tolls so private Corp. can make profit.

DeFazio: PPPs are not the magical solution. WA state likes PPPs more than me.

Shuster: CRC seems very expensive, sort of [implies] too expensive. Some applause from crowd.

DeFazio: leading int'l company looked at PPP for CRC: Not interested unless could toll I-205, which locals oppose.

Shuster: i feel your pain on project cost increases due to enviro regs. PA has lots of waterways.

Now using lottery to pick audience members to [ask questions].

There was Some talk of xtra costs due to stringent stormwater rules.

OR iron works: Why do streetcars in existing road need enviro impact study? Delays project DeFazio seemed to agree.

Monday Update: Federal Transportation News

2011-02-21T07:15:00.000-08:00

The Senate and House are in recess for an in-district/state work period. Most members will be home meeting with constituents, holding town halls and other meetings. The House Transportation Committee holds field hearings and listening sessions across the country this week, beginning today in Vancouver.

A lot happened in federal transportation last week:

The House Transportation proposes to extend SAFETEA-LU through September 30, 2011.

The full House passed a bill funding federal agencies for the rest of FY 2011. Many people are speculating that House-Senate negotiations will drag out and cause a temporary shutdown of federal agencies.

The President proposed a FY 2012 that would significantly reorganize transportation programs.

Florida rejected $2.4 billion in federal passenger rail grant funds. Gov. Gregoire announced WA state is ready to accept some of that funding for WA state's ready-to-go projects.

Status Reports on legislation:

Authorization, SAFETEA-LU
T-LU is extended through March 4 2011, per language in the continuing resolution. It's likely that another short term extension will be enacted. Most observers think it's unlikely a multi-year bill will pass until after the Presidential election. Both the House and Senate have started conducting hearings on a new authorization bill. Related stories: Will Earmark Ban Apply to the Transportation Authorization Bill? and House Field Hearings Will Seek Input On Next Transportation Bill

The House GOP adopted a new legislative rule that will allow the House to allocate less transportation funding than is authorized by SAFETEA-LU. The Senate is not likely to follow suit, setting up a contentious negotiation on the FY 2012 appropriations bills later this year. Read about the potential impact on WA state.

Appropriations
USDOT and federal agencies are funded through March 4 2011. House Republicans have redrafted the House's FFY spending bills, and proposes to reduce FY 2011 transportation spending by $11.5 billion. The bill will not include earmarks, with the Senate now following the lead of the House and President Obama.

See these stories for details:
No Earmarks for Two Years, What Happens Next with Earmark Funds?, Omnibus is Dead and What Transportation Lost When the Omnibus Died. The Omnibus bill designated about $221 million to 57 projects in WA state. (The dollar amount was reduced from the earlier Senate draft bill.)

Aviation Authorization:
The Senate and House each passed authorization bills in mid-February. The FAA authorization is currently extended through March 31st, 2011, the 17th extension since the authorization bill expired at the end of fiscal 2007.

Climate Change
Bipartisan legislation to delay EPA's looming regulations of green house gas emissions died in December. Senator Boxer announced she will continue to work to protect EPA authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. Democratic Senator Jay Rockefeller said he would reintroduce legislation to suspend the EPA's authority, and several bills to delay or strip funding for EPA's greenhouse gas rules have been introduced in the House.

USDOT May Shut Down Temporarily on March 5

2011-02-21T07:05:00.000-08:00

Odds are increasing that there could be a short-term shut down of federal agencies coming on March 5. This is due to a growing stalemate between Republicans and Democrats on resolving differences in FY 2011 spending. The current, temporary 2011 spending bill expires on March 4th.

The House passed a bill early Saturday morning that would reduce FY 2011 spending by $61 billion. Senate Democrats opposed cutting that deeply, and the President has threatened to veto the bill. The sides are so far apart that many people are beginning to speculate that negotiations will drag out, resulting in a (likely short-term) government shutdown.

Politico reports that a “high-ranking aide to House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi told Democratic chiefs of staff that a government shutdown is more likely than not, according to attendees. ” Pelosi has introduced a bill extending funding at current levels through March 31; however Republicans have stated that such a bill would have to include funding cuts.

Congress resumes legislative activity on February 28th.

Rewind: Last Week's Stories

2011-02-21T06:34:00.000-08:00

Extension of SAFETEA-LU Passes House Committee

USDOT May Shut Down Temporarily on March 5

House Transportation Field Hearing 1: A Recap

Administration Proposes Historic Reorganization and Funding of Federal Transportation

Members in Both Parties Have Reservations About Obama's FY 2012 Budget

LaHood: "Budget Invests $129 Billion in Restoring America’s Economic Competitiveness"

The FY 2012 Budget: "Two Drivers Playing Chicken"

Who from the NW Is On Senate's Transportation Subcommittee ?

House Rejects Cuts to Amtrak Funding

Gov Gregoire: WA State is Ready To Use Florida's Returned Rail Funding

Rep. Rick Larsen to Sec. Ray LaHood: We'll Take Some Of That $2.4 billion, Please

Federal Transit Director: Columbia River Crossing is a “critically needed” project

Webinar: Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions from U.S. Transportation

House Transportation Committee Sponsors Native American Roundtable

The President Giveth, the President Taketh

Using Transportation Policy to Reduce Oil Use & Emissions

New Primer on Surface Transportation Authorization & Highway Trust Fund

Another Sign Mica Is Somewhat Supportive of High Speed Rail

2011-02-17T15:55:00.000-08:00

House Transportation Chair is sometimes portrayed as opposing high speed passenger rail. Yet yesterday he expressed disappointment at Wednesday's decision by Florida Gov. Rick Scott to cancel a major high-speed passenger rail program backed by $2.4 billion in federal grants.

The Journal of Commerce reports Mica's statement:

"I am deeply disappointed in the decision to not move forward with the Orlando to Tampa passenger rail project," Mica said in a statement supplied by his spokesman. "This is a huge setback for the state of Florida, our transportation, economic development and important tourism industry."

"Mica 'Deeply Disappointed' at Fla. Ending Rail Project," Journal of Commerce

Related stories:

Mica Supports High Speed Rail in Florida, But. . .

Gov Gregoire: WA State is Ready To Use Florida's Returned Rail Funding

2011-02-17T14:41:00.000-08:00

Within hours of Florida's announcement it would return $2.4 billion in federal passenger rail grant funds, Governor Gregoire let USDOT know that Washington state can use the funds immediately on projects which are ready-to-go.

From the release:

"Federal high-speed-rail stimulus funds rejected by Florida could be well spent in Washington on the vital Amtrak Cascades corridor stretching from Oregon to British Columbia, Washington Transportation Secretary Paula Hammond said today.

The governor of Florida today announced his state’s rejection of $2.4 billion in high-speed-rail stimulus funding.

“I’ve said many times, if other states don’t want this funding, Washington state is ready to put it to work,” Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire said. “We’ve been committed to expanding and improving high-speed passenger rail not just to increase convenience for passengers, but to promote Washington state as a great place to visit and live. These rail lines take cars off our roads while moving workers and tourists between Seattle, Portland and Vancouver, B.C. These federal funds are an investment in our economy, and support hundreds of construction and operating jobs in our state.”

In early 2010, Washington was selected to receive $590 in federal high-speed-rail funding, part of the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) grants, administered by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). That was followed by an additional $161.5 million in Recovery Act funds redirected from Ohio and Wisconsin.

The additional funding could be applied to eligible projects in the Washington State Department of Transportation’s original 2009 Recovery Act application. The additional project work would result in added round trips between Portland and Seattle, improved schedule reliability and reduced travel times throughout the corridor. The cost of these projects in the original application was estimated at $539 million.

“These projects will boost rail-line capacity and relieve main-line congestion, as well as improve track quality, reliability and passengers’ rides,” said Hammond. “We will work with FRA to determine which projects should receive additional funding, based on the direct benefits to high-speed intercity passenger rail.”

Washington state strongly supports high-speed rail, as evidenced by its record-breaking ridership this year on the Pacific Northwest rail corridor. Amtrak Cascades ridership was up 10 percent in 2010 compared to 2009. The second train to Vancouver, B.C., which began in August 2009 and will continue at least through October 2011, was a major factor in the growing popularity of Amtrak Cascades."

Rep. Rick Larsen to Sec. Ray LaHood: We'll Take Some Of That $2.4 billion, Please

2011-02-17T14:31:00.000-08:00

Rep. Larsen wasted no time in contacting USDOT Secretary Ray LaHood and asking for some of the $2.4 billion in passenger rails grant funds being returned by Florida, announced yesterday.

Washington state is "well-positioned to use these funds on ready-to-go projects that will create jobs," Larsen told LaHood.

Washington received an additional $161 million when Wisconsin and Ohio returned passenger rail grant funds.

Use the tools below to increase the size of the letter for reading purposes.

Larsen Ltr to LaHood HSR 2-17-11

Federal Transit Director: Columbia River Crossing is a “critically needed” project

2011-02-17T13:34:00.000-08:00

Inclusion in a President's budget is a major step toward securing future federal funding. This week FTA Administrator this week discussed the reasons for including the Columbia River Crossing project in the President's FY 2012 budget:

“The existing bridge is inadequate and clearly needs replacement,” Rogoff said. “We are really keying on this project because WashDOT and all the other partners … are getting it right in that we’re going to build this big piece of infrastructure and combine all the highway and transit elements all at once.”

The project and three others are eligible to compete for funds from a $400 million program.

"Obama budget plan includes cash for new bridge," The Columbian

Extension of SAFETEA-LU Passes House Committee

2011-02-17T12:44:00.000-08:00

SAFETEA-LU would be extended through September 30th, 2011 under legislation passed Wednesday (Feb 16th) by the House Transportation

H.R. 662, the Surface Transportation Extension Act of 2011 is a bipartisan bill sponsored by Chair John Mica and Ranking Member Nick Rahall.

The bill extends programs at currently authorized levels, and is a “clean” extension with no policy changes.

What's next?

The full House is very unlikely to act on the bill this week. House members have an in-district work period during the week of February 21, so the House is most likely to act on the bill during the week of February 28.

Word on the street is that the Senate agrees with this legislative approach, and so it is very likely T-LU will be extended through the end of the year.

House Rejects Cuts to Amtrak Funding

2011-02-17T11:32:00.000-08:00

[Update: 60 Republicans joined 190 Democrats to reject the funding cuts. All WA & OR Republican members voted in favor of the cuts. All WA & OR Democrats voted to reject the cuts.]

Earlier today the House voted 250-176 to reject an amendment to cut Amtrak funding by $446.9 million. The amendment sponsor argued that Amtrak is a proven "money-losing venture that the government can no longer sustain and support.”

Amtrak and passenger rail proponents noted the proposed cut would leave essentially no money for track maintenance or other improvement projects during the rest of the fiscal year.

Another amendment proposes to completely eliminate Amtrak funding for the remainder of the year. It's not yet clear if and when this amendment may be voted on.

Should it be offered, the amendment is very likely to be defeated.

Webinar: Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions from U.S. Transportation

2011-02-17T10:00:00.001-08:00

On Wednesday, February 23 at 11am (Pacific) AASHTO and FWHA sponsor a webinar on a new report, "Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions from U.S. Transportation"issued by the Pew Center on Climate Change and commissioned by the National Cooperative Highway Research Program.

The report identifies reasonable actions across three fronts - technology, policy, and consumer behavior - that could deliver up to a 65 percent reduction in transportation emissions from current levels by 2050. Authored by David L. Greene, of the Howard H. Baker, Jr. Center for Public Policy and Steven E. Plotkin, of Argonne National Laboratory, the study provides three plausible scenarios of improved transportation efficiency and reduced GHG emissions through 2050, with technology progress and policy ambition increasing from the first to third scenario.

The webinar presenters will be report authors Greene and Plotkin, and also Paula Hammond of the Washington State DOT, who will provide commentary on the implications of the report for state DOTs.

The webinars are free and open to the public. Please register in advance here: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/966945377.

Safe Routes to School for Tribal Communities

2011-02-17T10:00:00.000-08:00

FHWA and the Tribal Technical Assistance Program of Colorado State University are sponsoring a webinar about “Safe Routes to School for Tribal Communities.” This program will provide an overview of the Safe Routes to School Program and examples of projects in tribal communities.

It will be conducted on Wednesday, February 23rd, 10am-11:30 (pacific time).
http://www.ttap.colostate.edu/workshop.aspx?id=2

The Safe Routes To School Program was established in August 2005 as part of SAFETEA-LU.

The Program makes funding available for a wide variety of programs and projects, from building safer street crossings to establishing programs that encourage children and their parents to walk and bicycle safely to school.
Tribal Safe Routes Webinar Feb 2011

House Transportation Committee Sponsors Native American Roundtable

2011-02-16T11:30:00.000-08:00

The President Giveth, the President Taketh

2011-02-16T10:00:00.000-08:00

The Reason Foundation's Sam Staley reviewed the Obama proposed transportation budget and notes the share of federal surface transportation budget going to federal highway initiatives, excluding Livable Communities initiatives would be 58.9% in 2012 and gradually decline to 53.6% in 2017.

The share of the surface transportation budget going to to transit, passenger rail, and livability communities initiatives would be 35.6% in 2012 and increase to 38.9% in 2017.

However I'm not sure how "clean" the comparison is. Some livable communities projects benefit highways.

Who from the NW Is On Senate's Transportation Subcommittee ?

2011-02-16T09:21:00.000-08:00

The Environment & Public Works Committee has most of the Senate's jurisdiction over highways-related legislation. The membership of the Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure was finalized earlier this week.

The NW is represented on the full committee and this important subcommittee by Idaho's Mike Crapo.

Democratic Senators:
Senator Max Baucus, Chairman (Montana)
Senator Thomas R. Carper (Delaware)
Senator Frank R. Lautenberg (New Jersey)
Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (Maryland)
Senator Bernard Sanders (Vermont)
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (Rhode Island)
Senator Tom Udall (New Mexico)
Senator Barbara Boxer (ex officio)(California)

Republican Senators:
Senator David Vitter, Ranking (Louisiana)
Senator John Barrasso (Wyoming)
Senator Jeff Sessions (Alabama)
Senator Mike Crapo (Idaho)
Senator Mike Johanns (Nebraska
Senator John Boozman (Arkansas)
Senator James M. Inhofe (ex officio) (Oklahoma)

The FY 2012 Budget: "Two Drivers Playing Chicken"

2011-02-15T12:38:00.000-08:00

Politico has an excellent article on the current federal budget battle, "Budget battle: The road ahead." After surveying the landscape Politico concludes: "What could go wrong? Everything. Sometimes two drivers playing chicken actually crash into each other."

Some highlights:
There are three likely paths to a final FY 2012 budget:

"The first path is a big bipartisan compromise — perhaps months in the making — that begins with a series of short-term stopgap spending bills and culminates in an agreement that includes more budget cuts and fewer tax hikes than in Obama’s proposal."

The second path is "bundling a deal on the 2012 budget by raising the debt ceiling, a showdown that looms in May. This is a more unpredictable scenario that one administration observer likened to a “game of chicken.” But some Republicans see this as the best way to extract concessions from Democrats." Lack of agreement could result in a series of short-term spending deals, "a practice both sides decry as long-term fiscal suicide."

The third path is "the doomsday scenario: One side, most likely newly elected conservative Republicans in the House, could precipitate a crisis by shutting the government down. . . .The fear of a shutdown. . . is probably the biggest spur for a deal."

What happens next:
First the White House and Congress must resolve the FY 2011 spending bill. This won't be easy since House Republicans plan to pass bill providing funding at $100 billion less than the president requested. The Senate and the president won’t go along with that, and the resulting negotiations and outcome will tell us much about how the FY 2012 process will go.

It’s increasingly likely those negotiations won't wrap up by March 4 (when the current spending bill expires), and that at least one more short-term bill will be enacted.

As that debate occurs, the House and Senate budget committees will develop their versions of the fiscal 2012 budget. In general, Republicans will want fewer tax increases and stepper spending cuts, and Democrats will want the opposite.

Members in Both Parties Have Reservations About Obama's FY 2012 Budget

2011-02-15T11:57:00.000-08:00

Republican reaction to a Democratic President's budget proposal predictably ranged from unenthusiastic to complete opposition. But members of the President's own party also have some reservations.

Several democratic Senators oppose the President's cuts to the low-income heating assistance program. Senator Patty Murray went a step further and observed that "If we are going to make real progress toward fiscal responsibility, we have to have a serious conversation that goes beyond" the relatively small piece of the budget pie on which Obama's cuts focus - the non-defense discretionary spending.

"Democratic senators slow to embrace Obama's budget," Washington Post

Using Transportation Policy to Reduce Oil Use & Emissions

2011-02-15T09:00:00.000-08:00

The Pew Center on Global Climate Change has just published a short primer, "Saving Oil and Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions through U.S. Federal Transportation Policy" to help you brush up on these issues..

From their release:

This paper identifies opportunities possible in transportation reauthorization legislation and using existing legislative authority that will save oil and reduce GHG emissions. The strategy focuses on five key elements: vehicles; fuels; vehicle miles traveled (VMT); system efficiency; and construction, maintenance, and other activities of transportation agency operations.

The United States consumes over 10 million barrels of oil per day moving people and goods on roads and rail throughout the country. Surface transportation generates over 23 percent of U.S. anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Transportation is the primary cause of U.S. oil dependence with its attendant risks to U.S. energy security. Contributions from this sector will be necessary in any effort to maintain a sustainable and secure economy in the future. There are many opportunities to save oil and reduce GHG emissions under existing federal law and possibly in the next surface transportation reauthorization legislation in the U.S. Congress, while increasing the mobility of people and goods in the U.S. economy.

House Transportation Field Hearing 1: A Recap

2011-02-15T08:02:00.000-08:00

Reps. Rahall, Mica, Capito

The House Transportation Committee held its first field hearing, and then held its first listening session, in a series of meetings to learn stakeholders' ideas for the next surface transportation bill. Both meetings were in West Virginia.

Speakers included representatives of state and local governments, contractors, and business.

Interesting tidbits from the meetings:

Ranking Minority Member Nick Rahall said he "envisions reauthorization legislation containing about half the money" compared to last year's draft $500b bill, and that the lower amount won't even maintain current needs.

Public private partnerships can be a good approach but won't help some states. WV State DOT Director Paul Mattox noted that due to the West Virginia terrain "our construction costs are too high and our traffic loads too low," said Mattox, "making it a challenge for us to attract private partners" who would build new highways in exchange for toll revenues.

There are other approaches that can save money and time, Mattox explained, citing the "combining planning and construction bids into single "design-build" contracts as a way the state is saving money on road work. He said more than $20 million was saved on the U.S. 35 upgrade alone."

Transit is important also, even in rural states, Mattox observed. “Many West Virginians, particularly in the rural areas, are transit-dependent and utilize these services to get to work, the doctor, shopping and to take care of the necessities of life." This comment from a State DOT Director reflects the belief of most State DOTs and runs counter to the erroneously claims constantly promoted by some interest groups that state DOTs care only about roads.

One construction company executive commented on the growing mantra of doing more with less: "If we continue doing more with less, soon we'll be doing nothing." Another executive noted that "We need a comprehensive bill passed, so we can know what to expect and make informed decisions on things like what equipment to buy."

Rahall addressed the controversy of earmarking: “I strongly believe that an elected representative knows his or her district better than an unelected bureaucrat in Washington, or even the President of the United States,” Rahall said. “If we were to eliminate such a process as earmarking, we would be empowering those unelected bureaucrats in Washington and/or the President of the United States.”

Sources:

"Highway funding woes bring hearings to state," Charleston Gazette

"Beckley hosts U.S. House transportation hearing," The Register-Herald

Image: (Kenny Kemp, Charleston Gazette)

New Primer on Surface Transportation Authorization & Highway Trust Fund

2011-02-15T08:00:00.000-08:00

The Pew Center on Global Climate Change has just published a short primer to help you brush up on your authorization and highway trust fund knowledge.

From their release:

"Today, travel on roads and rail in the United States requires 10 million barrels of oil per day and is the source of over 23 percent of the nation’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Faced with a real threat to national security from both climate change and oil dependence, the 112th Congress has an opportunity to achieve significant oil savings and GHG reductions from the U.S. transportation sector. This paper provides a primer on both federal surface transportation authorization and the main recipient of funding from the legislation, the federal highway trust fund (HTF)."

Administration Proposes Historic Reorganization and Funding of Federal Transportation

2011-02-14T11:12:00.000-08:00

That's the good news. The bad news: no proposal for how to fund the plan. Here's USDOT's overview of the budget and policy plan.

The President proposes to increase federal support for transportation to $128 billion in 2012, compared to $77 billion in 2010.

The Administration will begin pushing for a $556 billion six-year transportation bill, almost doubling SAFETEA-LU funding levels . The revenue source is not identified, and the President wants increased spending to be compensated through reduced spending elsewhere (or revenue increases).

Funding would apparently come from a “bipartisan financing for the transportation trust fund,” though no such agreement on what that means yet exists.

Highlights:

Formally embraces a “fix-it-first” approach for highways and transit.

$13.4 billion in discretionary funding in 2012, a $1.3 billion decrease from 2010 levels. (This figure excludes $109 billion in obligation limitations for the surface transportation plan. Including surface transportation obligation limitations, Department of Transportation’s total budgetary resources increase by $53 billion over 2010.)

Includes a six-year, $556 billion surface reauthorization plan to modernize the country’s surface transportation infrastructure, create jobs, and pave the way for long-term economic growth.

Creates a single transportation account (the “Transportation Trust Fund”) by shifting all general fund transit programs, Amtrak and high-speed rail, TIGER-type grants, and the new National Infrastructure Bank to being funded out of the Trust Fund via contract authority.

Jump-starts productive investment and stimulates job growth with a first-year funding boost of $50 billion in 2012.

$8 billion in 2012 and $53 billion over six years for passenger rail

$30 billion over six years for a National Infrastructure Bank to invest in projects of regional or national significance to the economy. (Let’s hope the Administration sends a formal proposal on this to Congress. It’d be a first.)

$4.1 billion in FY 2012 and $28 billion over six years for a FHWA livability grant program targeting multi-modal transportation hubs and bike/ped/transit access
Initiates Transportation Leadership Awards to create incentives for State and local partners to pursue critical transportation policy reforms.

$119 billion for transit over the next six years — about double the amount set aside for transit each year under the previous transportation bill.

Sources:

Transportation Weekly (subscription info: mail@transportationweekly.com)

"President Obama Proposes Major Funding Increases, Reorganization for Nation’s Transport,” Transport Politic

"Obama Proposes Infra Bank, Livability Grants, Doubling Transit Funds," StreetsBlog Capitol Hill
"Obama Budget Proposes $556B, Long-term Transportation Bill," StreetsBlog Capitol Hill

LaHood: "Budget Invests $129 Billion in Restoring America’s Economic Competitiveness"

2011-02-14T10:45:00.000-08:00

LaHood visiting WA state

The USDOT announcement:

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today said President Obama’s $129 billion budget for the U.S. Department of Transportation, the first year of a comprehensive six-year transportation plan, will lay a new foundation for economic growth and competitiveness by rebuilding the nation’s transportation systems, enabling innovative solutions to transportation challenges and ensuring the highest level of safety for all Americans.

“President Obama’s budget for the Department of Transportation is a targeted investment in America’s economic success,” said Secretary LaHood. “If we’re going to win the future, we have to out-compete the rest of the world by moving people, goods, and information more quickly and reliably than ever before. President Obama’s investments in rebuilding our crumbling roadways and runways, and modernizing our railways and bus systems will help us do just that.”

Nationwide, our transportation systems are already congested and overburdened. With the United States’ population expected to grow from more than 300 million in 2010 to more than 400 million by 2050, rebuilding and expanding the capacity of our roads, airports and transit systems is a strategic necessity for long-term economic growth. The transportation investments proposed in President Obama’s FY12 budget will put Americans to work repairing the bridges and repaving the roads we have now, while supporting the development of the new electric buses and high-speed rail lines of America’s future.

While these investments in transportation infrastructure and safety are critical, President Obama’s budget also reflects the need to live within our means. The budget proposal for the Department of Transportation consolidates unnecessary programs, institutes common sense government reforms, and cuts red tape. More than 55 separate highway programs will be streamlined into just five core programs, eliminating wasteful overlap and making it easier for communities to build the projects they need to spur economic growth. And by cutting inefficiency and bureaucracy, projects will be able to move forward more quickly, while still protecting public safety and the environment.

The Administration’s national high-speed rail proposal is a critical part of its vision for modernizing America’s transportation network. Last week, Secretary LaHood joined Vice President Biden to announce that the budget provides $8 billion for the first year of a six-year, $53 billion high-speed rail investment plan. The budget will place high-speed rail on equal footing with other transportation programs, revitalize domestic rail manufacturing, and ensure that the nation can reach President Obama’s goal of providing 80 percent of Americans access to high-speed rail within 25 years.

The Administration’s six-year proposal will also provide $336 billion, a 48 percent increase over the previous authorization, to rebuild America’s roads and bridges, and $119 billion, a 128 percent increase over the previous authorization, in funding for affordable, sustainable, and efficient transit options.

In order to ensure that American businesses are equipped to out-succeed competitors around the world, the Administration’s budget also prioritizes innovative programs and technological solutions to address our transportation challenges. For the first time, the budget will establish a National Infrastructure Bank that will leverage private capital to build complex large-scale projects that hold significant economic benefits to a region or the nation as a whole. A new competitive incentive program, called the Transportation Leadership Awards, will reward unique projects that find new ways to connect people to opportunities and products to markets. The FY 2012 budget also includes $1.2 billion to modernize America’s air-traffic control system and help airlines transition from the radar-based air traffic control system of the past to the more reliable and more efficient satellite-based system of the future, known as Next Generation technology.

The new budget also reaffirms Secretary LaHood’s strong commitment to maintaining the highest safety standards for Americans traveling by any mode of transportation. While road, transit and air travel are currently the safest they have ever been in America, the Department will build on previous success to make it even safer. To accomplish that goal, the budget provides $50 million for the Department’s ongoing campaign against distracted driving, as well as $35 million to promote seatbelt use and get drunk drivers off the road. Also, for the first time, the Federal Transit Administration will be given the authority to oversee rail transit safety in cities across the country.

Monday Update: Federal Transportation News

2011-02-14T10:07:00.000-08:00

The Senate and House both are in session this week. The Senate will resume debating the reauthorization of Federal Aviation programs. The House will begin work on legislation to cut billions from a final FY 2011 funding bill, (the current bill is scheduled to expire on March 4) and will continue debating the Patriot Act.

The biggest federal transportation news story this week will likely be the President's FY 2012 which was released earlier this morning, and the response of Congressional members in each party.

Congressional committees are gearing up:

The Senate EPW committee holds a hearing on reauthorization," National Leaders’ Call to Action on Transportation” on Wednesday, Feb 16th at 7am (Pacific). EPW's Subcommittee on Green Jobs and the New Economy holds a hearing titled "Green Jobs and Trade" on Tuesday, Feb 15.

The House Transportation Committee holds a reauthorization hearing, "Accelerating the Project Delivery Process: Eliminating Bureaucratic Red Tape and Making Every Dollar Count" on Tuesday, Feb. 15th at 7am (Pacific). It will be webcast live.

Today (Monday, Feb 14th) the House Transportation Committee holds a field hearing,
"Improving and Reforming our Nation's Surface Transportation Programs," in West Virginia. Read the briefing paper prepared for Committee members.

The House Transportation's Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials holds a hearing, "Sitting on our Assets: Rehabilitating and Improving our Nation's Rail Infrastructure" on Thursday Feb 17 at 7am (Pacific). It will be webcast live.

The House Energy and Commerce's Subcommittee on Environment and Economy holds a hearing, "Environmental Regulations, the Economy and Jobs," on Tuesday, Feb. 15 at 10am (Pacific)

The House Homeland Security Commmittee holds two hearings this week. The Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security holds a hearing, "Borders – Operational Control and the Path Forward,” on Tuesday, Feb. 15 at 7am (Pacific). The full committee will learn about and discuss the Administration's proposed FY 2012 budget for Homeland Security on Thursday, Feb. 17 at 7am (Pacific).

The House Oversight's Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform holds a hearing, "The Stimulus: Two Years Later," on Wednesday, Feb 16 at 7am (Pacific) and it will be webcast.

Status Reports on legislation:

Authorization, SAFETEA-LU
T-LU is extended through March 4 2011, per language in the continuing resolution. It's likely that another short term extension will be enacted. Most observers think it's unlikely a multi-year bill will pass until after the Presidential election. Both the House and Senate have started conducting hearings on a new authorization bill. Related stories: Will Earmark Ban Apply to the Transportation Authorization Bill? and House Field Hearings Will Seek Input On Next Transportation Bill

The House GOP adopted a new legislative rule that will allow the House to allocate less transportation funding than is authorized by SAFETEA-LU. The Senate is not likely to follow suit, setting up a contentious negotiation on the FY 2012 appropriations bills later this year. Read about the potential impact on WA state.

Appropriations
USDOT and federal agencies are funded through March 4 2011. House Republicans have redrafted the House's FFY spending bills, and proposes to reduce FY 2011 transportation spending by $11.5 billion. The bill will not include earmarks, with the Senate now following the lead of the House and President Obama.

See these stories for details:
No Earmarks for Two Years, What Happens Next with Earmark Funds?, Omnibus is Dead and What Transportation Lost When the Omnibus Died. The Omnibus bill designated about $221 million to 57 projects in WA state. (The dollar amount was reduced from the earlier Senate draft bill.)

Aviation Authorization:
The FAA authorization is extended through March 31st, 2011. This is the 17th extension since the authorization bill expired at the end of fiscal 2007. The Senate is currently debating the reauthorization. The House introduced a new version of an authorization bill on February 11.

Climate Change
Bipartisan legislation to delay EPA's looming regulations of green house gas emissions died in December. Senator Boxer announced she will continue to work to protect EPA authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. Democratic Senator Jay Rockefeller said he would reintroduce legislation to suspend the EPA's authority, and several bills to delay or strip funding for EPA's greenhouse gas rules have been introduced in the House.

Rewind: Last Week's Stories

2011-02-14T08:25:00.000-08:00

Herrera Beutler Announces Feb 21 Transport Comm. Listening Session

Obama: I Want to Put People to Work Rebuilding Roads and Bridges

LaHood Thinks New Authorization Bill Will Pass by August

White House Proposes $53 Billion Passenger Rail Program

Sec. Hammond Comments on White House's $53B Rail Plan

Obama on Exports: No Reason We Can't Do Better

It's Time To Brush Up On Public Private Partnerships

House Republicans to Add $26B Spending Cuts to Planned Cuts of $74B

House GOP Follows Through, Proposes Deep Cuts to Passenger Rail

Is "1 Million Electric Vehicles by 2015" Really Achievable?

Who's Throwing Cold Water on Obama's $53B Rail Program (besides Republicans)?

Rep Larsen: Jobs and Commerce Benefit from Investing in Passenger Rail

Webinar: Safe Routes to School for Tribal Communities

Webinar: Winning Alternative Transportation Projects in Rural & Small Metros

EPA-GOP Showdown On GhG Regulations Anticipated On Wednesday

Biden, LaHood to Discuss WH Plan for Infrastructure on Tuesday

It's Time To Brush Up On Public Private Partnerships

2011-02-11T08:09:00.000-08:00

[Updated with a report released today, Reason Foundation's Annual Privatization Report 2010 which "provides a comprehensive overview of the latest on toll roads, HOT lanes and other news on privatization and public-private partnerships in surface transportation."]

House Republicans are interested in making greater using of public private partnerships (PPPs) to improve and expand infrastructure. As fuel tax revenue declines, there is interest in leveraging public funds to attract private funds to get projects going. So it's probably time for us to brush up our knowledge about PPPs.

Proponents maintain that there are many examples of good PPPs, which are more common in other countries. Many citizens think PPPs are the silver bullet to funding and infrastructure challenges and will alleviate the need to raise taxes. The truth, as usual, is much more complicated. The basic challenge is the tension between the private sector's basic motivation of profit, and the public sector's basic motivation of protecting taxpayer investment and interests (e.g., excessively high tolls in future, ensuring a well-operated and maintained facility). There are many more infrastructure projects that DON'T work as a PPP, than ones that do work.

The most-widely known recent US transportation PPPs are the Indiana Toll Road (2004, $3.8 billion paid to the State of Indiana by Cintra-Macquarie to operate the 274-mile Indiana Tollway for 75 years) and the Chicago Skyway (2006, $1.83 billion paid to the City of Chicago by Cintra-Macquarie to operate the 7.8-mile toll highway for 99 years).

So this new report is very timely: Public-Private Partnerships for Transportation: A Toolkit for Legislators. It's hot off the press from the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). There's section which identifies Transportation PPP Projects in the US as of October 2010 (4 pages)

Here are a few other recent resources. The report linked above also has a good bibliography of resources.

The Council of State Governments published this report in July 2010.

Public-Private Partnerships: Case Studies was published in 2010 by USDOT's Office of Innovative Program Delivery.

Highway Public-Private Partnerships: More Rigorous Up-front Analysis Could Better Secure Potential Benefits and Protect the Public Interest was published in 2008 by the GAO

Private Roads, Public Costs: The Facts about Toll Road Privatization and How to Protect the Public. was published by USPIRG in 2009.

AASHTO just published this report that covers PPPs and other funding issues: Funding and Financing Solutions for Surface Transportation in the Coming Decade

Finally, this full record of a House Transportation Committee Hearing from 2006 has an entertaining exchange between skeptic Oregon Rep. Peter DeFazio and proponent Gov. Mitch Daniels. It also includes testimony from the Oregon DOT. ("Understanding Contemporary Public Private Highway Transactions: The Future of Infrastructure Finance?")

House Republicans to Add $26B Spending Cuts to Planned Cuts of $74B

2011-02-10T16:24:00.000-08:00

Republican House Appropriators appear to have yielded to pressure from more conservative members, and now plan to cut FY 2011 spending by an additional $26 billion on top of the originally proposed $74 billion earlier this week. ("House Appropriations chairman proposes $100 billion in cuts," WA Post).

Senate Democratic leadership plans to work with Republican Senators in an effort to reach a compromise.

Expect another short term continuing resolution while this gets sorted out.

Meanwhile, a new Pew Research poll finds that Americans Want to Spend Less on Key Programs, but Also Resist Cuts (Politics Daily story).

House GOP Follows Through, Proposes Deep Cuts to Passenger Rail

2011-02-09T13:13:00.000-08:00

One day after VP Biden announced the Administration's plan to request $8B for high speed passenger rail in next year's budget, House Republicans are proposing to essentially zero out this year's funding.

Fiscal year 2011 proposed funding of $1B for high speed passenger rail and $224 million for Amtrak operations would be eliminated if the House adopts budget cuts released today. Republicans had signaled this intention in past weeks but stakeholders held out hope that cuts wouldn't be so deep.

Read the full list of proposed cuts.

The disappointing news may not end there. The bill will be open to any amendment, meaning there may be amendments to further cut transportation funding. A number of House Republicans believe spending cuts should be deeper.

The legislation is expected to be unveiled on Thursday, and be debated on the House floor the following week.

Politicio notes that

"Prized Democratic initiatives including high speed rail, renewable energy programs and the Environmental Protection Agency are already among the targets. Community health centers and federal block grants for cities face significant reductions, and at a time of high world food prices, the GOP envisions more than $1.3 billion in combined cuts from White House requests for international food aid programs as well as the WIC nutrition program to assist pregnant women and their infants" ("GOP cuts deep as right revolts")

Webinar: Winning Alternative Transportation Projects in Rural & Small Metros

2011-02-09T11:00:00.000-08:00

NADO Research Foundation and RPO America are sponsoring a webinar "showcasing the work of two award-winning organizations on and small metropolitan trail development on Tuesday, February 15, from 2 - 3 p.m (eastern).

From the announcement:

The Iowa Northland Regional Council of Governments (Waterloo, IA) developed the Prairie Pathways Initiative to enhance the experience of trail users through interpretive signage, interactive kiosks.

The Southwest Region Planning Commission (Keene, NH) developed a website and outreach materials on rural travel demand management to address transportation options throughout the region.

Both projects have improved the experience of residents and visitors to the region by offering highlighting the extensive bicycle and pedestrian facilities and other transportation amenities.

As winners of the 2010 NADO Trailblazer Awards, these two organizations were selected by peer judges for being highly innovative and effective regional transportation projects.

The webinar speakers will include:
Kevin Blanshan, Iowa Northland Regional Council of Governments
Tara Germond, Southwest Region Planning Commission

Is "1 Million Electric Vehicles by 2015" Really Achievable?

2011-02-09T08:30:00.000-08:00

Transportation stakeholders are tracking developments with alternative-fuel vehicles, primarily because of the implications for future federal funding (reduced gas tax revenue), infrastructure and policy (e.g., charging stations on the federal highway system) and of course the environment (meeting federal pollution standards and reducing emissions). WSDOT and others are seeking funding to develop a West Coast Green Highway to provide infrastructure to meet the coming demand.

President Obama recently reaffirmed his desire to have 1 million electric vehicles on the road by 2015, a goal he first announced in 2008: “With more research and incentives, we can break our dependence on oil with biofuels, and become the first country to have 1 million electric vehicles on the road by 2015,” Obama said in his State of the Union Address.

To make achieve that goal the President said he would seek to eliminate the billions in subsidies for oil companies and fund new programs that offer better rebates for electric vehicles and invest in charging infrastructure.

Skeptics question if automakers can produce that many vehicles, and if electric vehicles will catch on that quickly with consumers. Others point out that hybrid vehicles - with technology much closer to internal combustion engine vehicles - took eight years to reach the million car-mark.

Since the President's speech a panel of auto industry experts concluded that automakers don't have the manufacturing capacity to meet Obama's goal. Next week, the White House will release a report indicating the industry does have the manufacturing capacity to meet the goal.

Much can happen in coming years to influence achieving the President's goal.

Electric vehicle adoption will likely rise or fall in comparison to the price of gasoline. More people will buy an EV if gas prices hover around $4 a gallon.

This week legislation was introduced in the Senate to provide an immediate $7,500 tax credit at the point of sale, instead of having to wait to file a tax return and get a rebate. The bill would also provide tax subsidies for items "ranging from smart grid systems and investments in energy storage properties, as well as $2 billion in grants for more investments in the construction of vehicle batteries."

That rebate could help Washingtonians if they end up having to pay a $100 fee when purchasing a EV.

And as charging stations come on line and become more prevalent and accessible, EV purchases may increase more rapidly.

Related stories:

WA state: first border-to border electric car charging stations

Public Interest in Electric Cars is Growing

Who's Throwing Cold Water on Obama's $53B Rail Program (besides Republicans)?

2011-02-08T20:00:00.000-08:00

Ken Orski, respected and knowledgeable transportation observer and commentator, dumps cold water on the Administration's $53B passenger rail improvement and expansion program:

"Given this meager progress [on recovery act rail projects], given more than ample evidence of congressional and state-level opposition, and with so many, much more deserving infrastructure needs awaiting federal support (incl. rail in the Northeast Corridor), one wonders why the Administration has chosen to doggedly pursue its unrealistic vision of a nationwide high-speed rail network. We hope Congressmen Mica and Shuster will try to get some answers."

Orski catalogs the opposition, including that of some Governors and state legislatures, and more relevant, that of Congressional Republicans. Curiously, there is no mention of the Governors, State DOTs and state coalitions who support funding to improve and expand passenger rail service.

Orski's analysis also quotes from a recent analysis of Fred Frailey, a respected writer for Trains, in which the freight railroads are blamed for the impasse in reaching a final agreement on high speed rail projects in Washington State, North Carolina and Virginia. Frailey's analysis actually is a little more nuanced and detailed than that, but Orski fairly represents Frailey's conclusion - which clearly relies heavily on FRA's view of the negotiations and does not include the perspective of the railroads and State DOTs.

In fairness it should be noted that Orski doesn't seem to be completely anti-passenger rail, as he expresses some support for the northeast corridor service. And he correctly notes the multitude of different transportation needs competing for funding, and raises the legitimate question, is HSR really where Congress should invest.

Rep Larsen: Jobs and Commerce Benefit from Investing in Passenger Rail

2011-02-08T16:56:00.000-08:00

WA Representative Rick Larsen represent NW Washington and serves on the House Transportation Committee. He released this statement on the Administration's $53 billion intercity passenger rail program:

“Investing in high-speed rail will put people to work, help keep our economy moving and increase the opportunity to enhance the rail link between Everett and Bellingham,”said Rep. Larsen.

“The Pacific Northwest is a great example of how investing in our high-speed rail system can grow the economy by providing good local jobs and helping commerce and passengers travel more efficiently throughout the region. I look forward on working with the Administration to improve our rail system so we can expand our workforce and maintain U.S. economic leadership in the world.”

Herrera Beutler Announces Feb 21 Transport Comm. Listening Session

2011-02-08T13:26:00.000-08:00

Photo: Politico

[Update: the listening session will be 9am-11am, no location yet.]

Today Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler praised the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for announcing plans to conduct a listening session in Vancouver, Washington on February 21st:

“I want to thank Chairman Mica for honoring my request to bring this listening session to Southwest Washington. This meeting offers our region a tremendous chance to tell Congress about our region’s transportation and infrastructure challenges, and advance our solutions.

Chairman Mica deserves credit for acting on the belief that the best ideas originate in local communities – not in DC agencies with federal bureaucrats. Having a well-maintained, efficient transportation system will be a boon to Southwest Washington’s economic recovery.”

The Committee will hold similar listening sessions in various regions throughout the country regarding the upcoming transportation reauthorization bill, legislation to authorize funding for the federal share of the nation’s infrastructure projects. The Committee Chair John Mica will be personally facilitating the listening session. Southwest Washington has a direct link to the nation’s transportation and infrastructure planning with Herrera Beutler serving on the Committee.

Sec. Hammond Comments on White House's $53B Rail Plan

2011-02-08T11:27:00.000-08:00

WSDOT Secretary Paula Hammond chairs the States for Passenger Rail Coalition (SPRC), an alliance of 32 state departments of transportation with a mission to promote the development, implementation and expansion of intercity passenger rail services. Hammond attended VP Biden's announcement of a $53 billion plan to improve and expand intercity passenger rail, and afterwards SPRC released this statement:

"Paula Hammond, chair of the States for Passenger Rail Coalition (SPRC), today
announced the coalition’s support of the Obama administration’s plans to continue developing a nationwide high-speed rail system that will give 80 percent of Americans access to high-speed rail within 25 years. Vice President Joe Biden announced today in Philadelphia a six-year plan to invest $53 billion in a national high-speed rail network.

“The administration recognizes the need for an integrated transportation system,” said Hammond, who was in Philadelphia as SPRC chair. “I applaud the president’s commitment to a modern and efficient form of transportation.”

Hammond added that this new investment will allow states, freight rail and private companies to work together to build a better, comprehensive system.

“Near-term rail investments in critical infrastructure will result in thousands of new construction and manufacturing jobs and help provide the U.S. with a more sustainable way to move people and goods across the country,” said Hammond, who is transportation secretary in Washington state."

Webinar: Safe Routes to School for Tribal Communities

2011-02-08T09:30:00.000-08:00

White House Proposes $53 Billion Passenger Rail Program

2011-02-08T09:04:00.000-08:00

Vice President Biden today announced a six year, $53 billion plan to improve and expand intercity passenger rail service. The plan would also consolidate passenger rail programs into two: one for network development (focused on building new infrastructure, stations, and equipment) and one for system preservation and renewal. The White House news release is reprinted below.

The administration is calling for a $8 billion investment in FY 2012. Congress will start writing that budget later this spring. This could shape up to be an interesting debate, as a number of Senators and Representatives oppose increased funding for passenger rail. Some members oppose any funding, while others oppose only funding for new service. House Transportation Chairman John Mica already is expressing opposition to the proposal.

The White House statement:

Philadelphia, PA - Vice President Joe Biden today announced a comprehensive plan that will help the nation reach President Obama’s goal of giving 80 percent of Americans access to high-speed rail within 25 years, as outlined in his State of the Union address. The proposal will place high-speed rail on equal footing with other surface transportation programs and revitalize America’s domestic rail manufacturing industry by dedicating $53 billion over six years to continue construction of a national high-speed and intercity passenger rail network. As a part of President Obama’s commitment to winning the future by rebuilding America’s roadways, railways and runways, the plan will lay a new foundation for the nation’s economic opportunity, job creation, and competitiveness.

The Vice President made the announcement with Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood during a visit to Philadelphia’s historic 30th Street Station, where passengers traveling from Pittsburgh and Harrisburg on Amtrak’s Keystone Corridor connect to high-speed Acela service to Boston, New York City, and Washington, D.C. Since track improvements raised speeds between Harrisburg and Philadelphia to 110 mph in 2006, the Keystone Corridor has seen rail ridership rise by 57 percent. In fact, more passengers now travel from Harrisburg to Philadelphia – and from Philadelphia to New York City and Washington D.C. – by rail than by plane.

“As President Obama said in his State of the Union, there are key places where we cannot afford to sacrifice as a nation – one of which is infrastructure,” said Vice President Biden. “As a long time Amtrak rider and advocate, I understand the need to invest in a modern rail system that will help connect communities, reduce congestion and create quality, skilled manufacturing jobs that cannot be outsourced. This plan will help us to do that, while also increasing access to convenient high speed rail for more Americans.”

As the first step in this comprehensive, six-year plan, the President’s Budget for the coming fiscal year would invest $8 billion in expanding Americans’ access to high-speed passenger rail service. In order to achieve a truly national system, these investments will focus on developing or improving three types of interconnected corridors:

* Core Express: These corridors will form the backbone of the national high-speed rail system, with electrified trains traveling on dedicated tracks at speeds of 125-250 mph or higher.
* Regional: Crucial regional corridors with train speeds of 90-125 mph will see increases in trips and reductions in travel times, laying the foundation for future high-speed service.
* Emerging: Trains traveling at up to 90 mph will provide travelers in emerging rail corridors with access to the larger national high-speed and intercity passenger rail network.

This system will allow the Department – in partnership with states, freight rail, and private companies – to identify corridors for the construction of world-class high-speed rail, while raising speeds on existing rail lines and providing crucial planning and resources to communities who want to join the national high-speed rail network. With rail ridership reaching all-time highs in many areas of the country during 2010, these investments will ensure that more Americans have the option of taking a train to reach their destination.

"In America, we pride ourselves on dreaming big and building big," said Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood. "This historic investment in America’s high-speed rail network keeps us on track toward economic opportunity and competitiveness in the 21st century. It’s an investment in tomorrow that will create manufacturing, construction, and operations jobs today.”

This long term commitment builds on the $10.5 billion down payment the Obama Administration already devoted to a national high-speed rail system – including $8 billion of Recovery Act funds and $2.5 billion from the 2010 budget. These investments are already paying economic dividends in places like Brunswick, Maine, where construction workers are laying track that will provide the first rail service since the 1940s from Brunswick to Portland to Boston. Private dollars are also gravitating toward Brunswick’s station neighborhood, as investors have financed a number of businesses and residential condos, a new movie theatre, a new 60 room hotel, and a 21st century health clinic. Similar high-speed and intercity passenger rail projects across the country will create jobs not only in our manufacturing sector, but also in the small businesses that open near modernized train stations. They will connect large metropolitan communities and economies through a safe, convenient, and reliable transportation alternative. They will ease congestion on our roads and at our airports. And they will reduce our reliance on oil as well as our carbon emissions.

By clarifying the long-term federal role in passenger rail, this six-year program will provide states and cities with the certainty they need to make long-term transportation plans for their communities. It will provide businesses the confidence they need to hire American workers. Strong Buy American requirements will create tens of thousands of middle-class jobs in construction, manufacturing, and rail operations. And the proposal will open the door to new public-private partnerships, and attract significant private investment in developing and operating passenger rail corridors.

The proposal announced today by the Vice President also streamlines the Department of Transportation’s rail programs, making it simpler for states, cities, and private companies to apply for grants and loans. For the first time, all high speed and intercity passenger rail programs will be consolidated into two new accounts: a $4 billion account for network development, focused on building new infrastructure, stations, and equipment; and a $4 billion account for system preservation and renewal, which will maintain state of good repair on Amtrak and other publicly-owned assets, bring stations into Americans with Disabilities Act compliance, and provide temporary operating support to crucial state corridors while the full system is being built and developed.

Obama on Exports: No Reason We Can't Do Better

2011-02-07T14:12:00.001-08:00

President Obama spoke to U.S Chamber members today. He touched on a number of issues (read the entire talk), including transportation (read the excerpt) and also addressed exports specifically. There's not a lot of "there" there, but it's encouraging for us in the NW that he keeps bringing up the issue:

"We’re trying to run the government a little bit more like you run your business -- with better technology and faster services. So in the coming months, my administration will develop a proposal to merge, consolidate and reorganize the federal government in a way that best serves the goal of a more competitive America. And we want to start with the 12 different agencies that deal with America’s exports. If we hope to help our businesses sell more goods around the world, we should ensure we’re all pulling in the same direction. And frankly, with 12 different agencies in charge, nobody is in charge. So we’re going to fix that as an example of how we can make a government that’s more responsive to the American people and to American businesses.

Which brings me to the final responsibility of government: breaking down some of the barriers that stand in the way of your success. As far as exports are concerned, that means seeking new opportunities and opening new markets for your goods. And I will tell you I will go anywhere anytime to be a booster for American businesses, American workers and American products. We recently signed -- (applause) -- and I don’t charge a commission. (Laughter.)

We recently signed export deals with India and China that will support more than 250,000 jobs here in the United States. We finalized a trade agreement with South Korea that will support at least 70,000 American jobs. And by the way, it’s a deal that has unprecedented support from business and labor, Democrats and Republicans. That’s the kind of deal that I will be looking for as we pursue trade agreements with Panama and Colombia, as we work to bring Russia into the international trading system. Those are going to be our top priorities because we believe Americans have the best products and the best businesses, and if we’re out there selling and we’re out there hustling, there’s no reason why we can’t do a lot better than we’re doing right now when it comes to our exports."

Obama: I Want to Put People to Work Rebuilding Roads and Bridges

2011-02-07T14:12:00.000-08:00

President Obama spoke to U.S Chamber members today. He touched on a number of issues (read the entire talk), including exports (read the excerpt) and also addressed transportation specifically:

"We also have a responsibility as a nation to provide our people with -- and our businesses -- with the fastest, most reliable way to move goods and information. The costs to business from outdated and inadequate infrastructure is enormous. And that’s what we have right now -- outdated, inadequate infrastructure.

And any of you that have been traveling to other countries, you know it, you see it, and it affects your bottom lines. That’s why I want to put more people to work rebuilding crumbling roads, rebuilding our bridges. That’s why I’ve proposed connecting 80 percent of the country with high-speed -- to high-speed rail, and making it possible for companies to put high-speed Internet coverage in the reach of virtually all Americans.

You understand the importance of this. The fact is, the Chamber of Commerce and the AFL-CIO don’t agree on a whole lot. Tom Donohue and Richard Trumka are not Facebook friends. (Laughter.) Well, maybe -- I don’t think you are anyway. (Laughter.) I didn’t check on this, but -- but they agree on the need to build a 21st-century infrastructure. And I want to thank the Chamber for pushing Congress to make more infrastructure investments, and to do so in the most cost-effective way possible: with tax dollars that leverage private capital, and with projects that are determined not by politics, but by what’s best for our economy."

LaHood Thinks New Authorization Bill Will Pass by August

2011-02-07T10:01:00.000-08:00

USDOT Secretary spoke with reporters last week and expressed optimism that Congress can complete a long-term surface transportation reauthorization to replace SAFETEA-LU before the August recess.

LaHood said he has discussed the legislation with House Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman John Mica, Senate Commerce Chairman Jay Rockefeller, and Senate Environment and Public Works Chairman Barbara Boxer.

The Hill reports LaHood's comments:

"I'd like to have a transportation bill on the president's desk by the August recess," he said Friday during a conference call with reporters. He said the bill would be "significant and substantial" and that lawmakers in the House and Senate appear committed to complete the legislation.

In the meantime, LaHood said the $48 billion included in the economic stimulus has helped start 15,000 projects and create thousands of jobs in the past two years.

"LaHood optimistic on long-term surface transportation bill," The Hill

EPA-GOP Showdown On GhG Regulations Anticipated On Wednesday

2011-02-07T10:00:00.000-08:00

The year's first face to face showdown between House Republicans and the White House over climate change and environmental policies is expected this Wednesday, February 9th.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee will hold a hearing on draft legislation to eliminate the EPA's authority to regulate greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act.

House and Senate Republicans, along with some coal-state Democrats from both chambers, are dedicated to eliminating or significantly revising EPA's regulatory plans. The White House has been equally adamant about keeping the regulatory authority.

Related stories:

The New Congress on Climate Change & Energy

Climate Change Tactics Adjusted for New Congress

Senate Proposal Would Block EPA on Greenhouse Gas Regulations

Biden, LaHood to Discuss WH Plan for Infrastructure on Tuesday

2011-02-07T09:18:00.000-08:00

Vice President Biden will lead an event Tuesday in Philadelphia to discuss the Administration’s "plan to build a 21st century infrastructure - from roads and bridges to high-speed rail. The Vice President and Secretary LaHood will discuss new initiatives to increase our nation’s competitiveness, export goods to new markets around the world, and put Americans back to work while growing the economy and helping America win the future."

This could be the first substantive public peek at the Administration's authorization plan

Monday Update: Federal Transportation News

2011-02-06T21:01:00.000-08:00

The Senate and House both are in session this week. The Senate will resume debating the reauthorization of Federal Aviation programs. House Budget and Appropriations leaders will continue working on a discretionary spending cap for the rest of fiscal 2011 which would cut transportation spending by about $11.5 billion.

In non-transportation news, the House is expected to work on a resolution to direct committees to review the impact of federal regulations on jobs and economic growth. The House also may work on anti-terrorism, intelligence and trade reauthorization bills, and legislation to force the return of funds the United States overpaid to the United Nations. The Senate may take up some judicial nominations.

Status Reports:

Authorization, SAFETEA-LU
T-LU is extended through March 4th, per language in the continuing resolution. It's likely that another short term extension will be enacted. Most observers think it's unlikely a multi-year bill will pass until after the Presidential election. Both the House and Senate have started conducting hearings on a new authorization bill. Related stories: Will Earmark Ban Apply to the Transportation Authorization Bill? and House Field Hearings Will Seek Input On Next Transportation Bill

The House GOP adopted a new legislative rule that will allow the House to allocate less transportation funding than is authorized by SAFETEA-LU. The Senate is not likely to follow suit, setting up a contentious negotiation on the FY 2012 appropriations bills later this year. Read about the potential impact on WA state.

Appropriations
USDOT and federal agencies are funded through March 4th, 2011. House Republicans will redraft the House's FFY spending bills, and almost certainly reduce spending from the previous (Democratic-written) draft. The House is poised to reduce FY 2011 transportation spending by $11.5 billion. The bill will not include earmarks, with the Senate now following the lead of the House and President Obama.

See these stories for details:
No Earmarks for Two Years, What Happens Next with Earmark Funds?, Omnibus is Dead and What Transportation Lost When the Omnibus Died. The Omnibus bill designated about $221 million to 57 projects in WA state. (The dollar amount was reduced from the earlier Senate draft bill.)

Aviation Authorization:
The FAA authorization is extended through March 31st, 2011. This is the 17th extension since the authorization bill expired at the end of fiscal 2007. The Senate is currently debating the reauthorization.

Climate Change
Bipartisan legislation to delay EPA's looming regulations of green house gas emissions died in December. Senator Boxer announced she will continue to work to protect EPA authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. Democratic Senator Jay Rockefeller said he would reintroduce legislation to suspend the EPA's authority, and several bills to delay or strip funding for EPA's greenhouse gas rules have been introduced in the House.

Rewind: Last Week's Stories

2011-02-06T20:49:00.000-08:00

House GOP Proposes $11.5 Billion Cut in Transport Funding for This Year

Lone Holdout for Earmarking Throws In Towel

Who From The NW Is On the Senate Transportation Committee?

Senate Schedules Next Hearing on Replacing SAFETEA-LU

House Schedules Hearing on Replacing SAFETEA-LU

House Field Hearings Will Seek Input On Next Transportation Bill

Gap Between Fed Transport Funding and Needs: $137 Billion. A Year.

The Myths About Congress "Working Less" and "Doing Little"

Senate Proposal Would Block EPA on Greenhouse Gas Regulations

Seattle: War on Cars, or on Carless?

Sen. Boxer: Investing in Transportation Has Bipartisan Support

2011-02-06T20:45:00.000-08:00

Senator Boxer, in her committee's first hearing this year on replacing SAFETEA-LU, noted that "investing in transportation important, it has bipartisan support."

Boxer's additional (prepared) remarks:

Economic recovery and job creation are top priorities for this Committee and the Congress in 2011, which is why I decided to kick off the year with a hearing on the importance of transportation. Not only is

I am working closely with Senator Inhofe on the next surface transportation authorization because we both agree it is a priority and we want to see a new bill enacted this year.

Just last night I sat with the Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee John Mica at the State of the Union, and he agrees enacting a bill should be a priority for this Congress.
Although we may not agree on everything, we both want to work together to get a bill done.

That's why I was particularly pleased to hear President Obama highlight investments in transportation as part of his State of the Union address.

I welcome the President's commitment and look forward to working with him, as well as my counterparts in the House and Senate, on drafting a bill that will create jobs, accelerate economic recovery, and build the foundation for long-term prosperity.

Today's hearing, which is focused on transportation's role in supporting our economy and job creation, is part of our early efforts to get a bill enacted in 2011.

We know transportation infrastructure investment is a proven jobs creator. According to the Department of Transportation (DOT) every $1 billion in Federal money for transportation that is matched by state and local funds creates and saves approximately 34,700 jobs.

These jobs are particularly needed today. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the December 2010 unemployment rate in the construction industry was 20.7%, more than twice the nationwide unemployment rate of 9.4%.

High unemployment in construction has a big impact on our overall economy. According to the American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA), the transportation construction industry in the United States supports the equivalent of more than 3 million full time jobs and generates over $380 billion in total annual economic activity for the nation, nearly 3% of U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Not only does success in the transportation construction industry improve GDP, commerce in the U.S. benefits every day from transportation investments that shorten travel times, increase productivity, improve travel-time reliability, and improve safety.

Infrastructure investments enhance the productivity of businesses and individuals. Failing to invest creates the disruptions that waste money, time, and fuel and undermine our competitiveness.

According to the Texas Transportation Institute's 2010 Urban Mobility Report, Americans waste 4.8 billion hours a year sitting in traffic due to congestion. This translates to almost 4 billion gallons of extra fuel consumed and a $115 billion cost to the nation when the cost of fuel and lost productivity are factored in.

Our witnesses today are testifying on behalf of the:
• American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO),
• Associated General Contractors of America (AGC),
• American Road and Transportation Builders (ARTBA),
• National Asphalt Pavement Association,
• National Stone Sand and Gravel Association,
• International Union of Operating Engineers,
• United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners, and
• National Industrial Transportation League.

From states to business and labor, these are but a few of the broad coalition of stakeholders working to enact a transportation bill. These witnesses will tell us how Federal funding for transportation puts Americans to work, strengthens our economy, and rebuilds the infrastructure that keeps our country moving.

And, I want to take this opportunity to point out that I joined with the stakeholders in opposing the House Rules change which eliminated the point of order that helped guarantee highway funding and, as a result, will allow Congress to return to the old shell game of collecting fees from highway users but not spending them on transportation so that spending elsewhere can be increased.

Reducing spending on transportation is a mistake that would put jobs and our economic recovery at risk.

As Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, job creation will continue to be my top priority. I am grateful to my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for their interest in moving forward together on a transportation bill that invests in our transportation system to help ensure it will meet America's needs in the coming years.

Who From The NW Is On the Senate Transportation Committee?

2011-02-06T20:23:00.000-08:00

The Environment and Public Works (EPW) committee has most of the Senate's jurisdiction over transportation. Democratic Chair Barbara Boxer and Republican Ranking Member James Inhofe announced the committee membership list for the 112th Congress:

The NW is represented by Oregon's Jeff Merkley, and Idaho's Mike Crapo.

Democrats:
Chairman Barbara Boxer (CA)
Max Baucus (MT)
Thomas Carper (DE)
Frank Lautenberg (NJ)
Benjamin Cardin (MD)
Bernard Sanders (VT)
Sheldon Whitehouse (RI)
Tom Udall (NM)
Jeff Merkley (OR)
Kirsten Gillibrand (NY)

Republicans:
Ranking Member James Inhofe (OK)
David Vitter (LA)
John Barrasso (WY)
Jeff Sessions (AL)
Mike Crapo (ID)
Lamar Alexander (TN)
Mike Johanns (NE)
John Boozman (AR)

House Field Hearings Will Seek Input On Next Transportation Bill

2011-02-06T18:55:00.000-08:00

House Transportation Committee Chair John Mica announced more information about the upcoming hearings and public forums around the country. One of the meetings will occur in Vancouver during the Feb. 21-23 period. The first meeting occurs on February 14 in West Virginia. From the committee news release:

"The nationwide meetings with state and local officials and transportation stakeholders will help inform the Committee’s drafting of a long-term reauthorization of the nation’s highway, transit, and highway safety programs. The legislation will help improve our transportation infrastructure and promote job creation in the nation’s hard-hit construction industry.

The Committee will seek input on how to consolidate and improve the performance of programs, cut government red tape and streamline the project delivery process, increase private sector investment in our infrastructure, identify creative financing alternatives, and other ideas for writing the legislation. The previous multi-year law (SAFETEA- LU) expired in September 2009.

“The best ideas to improve and streamline government programs often come from outside of Washington, and before we draft any legislation these meetings will provide the Committee with valuable insight and information,” Mica said.

Chairman Mica, Members of the Committee and other lawmakers will participate in the hearings and meetings, which will begin on February 14, 2011 in West Virginia, home state of the Committee’s Ranking Democrat Member Nick J. Rahall. At least a dozen other sessions across numerous states are currently planned for February 17-25, including a joint House-Senate hearing in Los Angeles in cooperation with Senator Barbara Boxer, Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. (Further details regarding meetings will be announced at a later date.)

The Committee will travel to the following communities to gather information for the transportation reauthorization bill:

Beckley, West Virginia
Charleston, West Virginia
Philadelphia Metropolitan area
Scranton, Pennsylvania
Rochester, New York
Columbus, Ohio
Indianapolis, Indiana
Chicago Metropolitan area
Vancouver, Washington
Fresno, California
Los Angeles
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Jonesboro, Arkansas
Memphis Metropolitan area

The Myths About Congress "Working Less" and "Doing Little"

2011-02-06T10:08:00.000-08:00

It's easy to look at the Congressional legislative calendar and conclude Congress isn't working much. You can count on seeing several articles a year with that theme. What writers and critics often don't tell you is what Members are doing during non-legislative days. Including weekends. And the reasons behind a slow start.

So it was refreshing to read David Goldstein of McClatchy Newspapers who reports the nuances and gets the story right in "New Congress gets off to a slow start," (Seattle Times).

The article starts off with the sensationalist-sounding observation that in January the Senate was in session for five days, and the House present for eleven days. Several paragraphs are devoted to what Congress wasn't doing and an observation that this Congress worked less in January than the previous two Congresses.

That's where most articles on this subject end. Goldstein, however, goes the extra step and discusses several issues similar articles typically miss.

He notes the first month of a new Congress isn't a good measure of work habits to come. And Goldstein correctly compares the opening session legislative days to the first year of previous Congresses - instead of the second year. This matters because the opening month of a new Congress is consumed with leadership elections, committee reorganizations (including membership and staff). New members are busy hiring staff and organizing for their DC and home state offices. This impacts the legislative calendar.

Goldstein also notes that the attack on Arizona Representative Gabrielle Giffords disrupted the work schedule.

But here's where Goldstein really gets it right, from my experience.

He starts by quoting a poly-sci professor/former congressional aide:

"Congress has two functions: One is representation, the other is lawmaking....You can't represent constituents well if you're sitting on the floor of the Senate. You have to actually be out visiting people."

Exactly. When Members aren't in DC, they are back in their home state or district meeting with constituents. Most members work both or at least one day of the weekend, and many evenings, when in-state.

Many members "spend the weekend running nonstop between events with constituents, civic leaders and campaign donors," Goldstein notes.

An example close to home: in WA state, recently-elected Representative Jaime Herrera Beutler held two town halls last week and met with constituents throughout the district.

One nitpick: Goldstein could have mentioned that the opening year of a two-year Congress often ends up with a number of legislative work-days in November and December - after the scheduled adjournment date.

(Disclosure: I have worked with Congress for 23 years, including six for a U.S. Senator.)

House Schedules Hearing on Replacing SAFETEA-LU

2011-02-03T15:09:00.000-08:00

"Accelerating the Project Delivery Process: Eliminating Bureaucratic Red Tape and Making Every Dollar Count" is the focus of a February 15 hearing at 10am (Eastern) in Washington DC.

The hearing is scheduled to be available via webcast.

House GOP Proposes $11.5 Billion Cut in Transport Funding for This Year

2011-02-03T14:54:00.000-08:00

Transportation and Housing funding for FY 2011 would be reduced by 17%, or $11.5 billion, in an effort to reduce federal spending to 2008 levels (pre-ARRA and financial bailout). It's the largest proposed cut (by percentage), followed by Justice and Commerce seeing a 16% cut.

Senate Democrats have signaled support for some reduced spending, but will almost certainly oppose the reduction levels proposed by House Republicans.

Congress faces a March 4 deadline for turning those spending cuts into legislative language to fund the government through the end of the fiscal year (September 30).

House Republicans originally pledged to cut FY 2011 spending by $100 billion, using the President’s request of $478 billion in fiscal 2011 non-security spending as the starting point. But with five months of the fiscal year gone by, Republicans decided that reduction should be applied going forward, and proposed a smaller reduction.

Senate Schedules Next Hearing on Replacing SAFETEA-LU

2011-02-03T10:47:00.000-08:00

Sen. Barbara Boxer announced the next hearing on crafting a multi-year reauthorization of surface transportation programs will be Wednesday, February 16 at 10am eastern time in Washington DC.

Scheduled speakers are the Presidents of the US Chamber and AFL-CIO.

Gap Between Fed Transport Funding and Needs: $137 Billion

2011-02-03T10:41:00.000-08:00

"According a congressional commission, the gap between current revenues available for surface transportation and capital needs each year is $137 billion."

AASHTO releases a report on the commission's findings, and comments:

In recognition of the need to discuss a broad range of tools to address this "funding gap," a new report from the AASHTO Center for Excellence in Project Finance outlines a number of options for meeting revenue needs.

This report is a result of a wide-ranging forum held for members of Congress and their staff in September 2010, at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center. Entitled Funding and Financing Solutions for Surface Transportation in the Coming Decade, more than a hundred people took part in the discussions that were organized around six sessions that addressed:

• Near- and medium-term funding options for the Federal surface transportation programs
• Expanded applications of current Federal financing tools
• Best funding and financing practices at the state and local level

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman John Mica (R-FL), Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), and former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell were among the many public and private sector leaders who participated in the forum and contributed to the conference report.

In addition, the AASHTO Center for Excellence in Project Finance has enhanced its website to include a new interactive map with detailed state-by-state transportation data from 1992 to 2008 for:

• Demographics
• State Roadway System
• Toll Facilities
• Revenue Sources
• State DOT Spending
• Motor Fuel Taxes

To view both the forum report and the state-by-state information, visit the AASHTO Center for Excellence in Project Finance website at http://www.transportation-finance.org.

Lone Holdout for Earmarking Throws In Towel

2011-02-02T08:14:00.000-08:00

The last holdout in support of earmarking, Senator Inouye, Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, commented yesterday:

"The handwriting is clearly on the wall. . . . Given the reality before us, it makes no sense to accept earmark requests that have no chance of being enacted into law."

Senator Inouye has argued that due to reforms recently enacted for transparency and accountability, the small impact on the budget, and constitutional prerogative, earmarking should continue.

The Senate will review the definition of "earmark", which may result in allowing some limited funding for projects. Also yet to be decided is what happens to funds set aside for earmark - particularly in the FY 2011 bill. Will those funds become available to USDOT for grants, or will the funds simply be eliminated?

Meanwhile, a Democratic Senator cosponsored a bill with Republicans to significantly reduce spending on all government programs, including Social Security and Medicare. It's the most draconian deficit reduction effort yet to be endorsed by a Democrat, and another sign that spending - including transportation - is going to decline compared to recent years.

The elimination of earmarks is not expected to have much impact on the deficit or spending, because earmarks are a relatively quite small part of the budget.

"Appropriations Chairman Inouye says he will enforce earmark ban in Senate," WA Post

Seattle: War on Cars, or on Carless?

2011-01-31T20:12:00.000-08:00

Mirroring a debate that is emerging in Congress, Seattle's Publicola invites "four local policy nerds—Sightline’s Eric de Place, Cascade Bicycle Club’s David Hiller, Washington Policy Center’s Michael Ennis and Forward Seattle’s Joe Quintana—to sit down and discuss Vehicle Miles Traveled and mode shift.

Two of the panelists wrote opinion articles in advance: David Roberts (Grist) wrote The War on the Carless and Michael Ennis (Washington Policy Center) wrote Seattle’s War on Cars Is a War on Drivers.

Should be an entertaining debate.

Tuesday, February 1
7pm
Liberty Bar, in the Capitol Hill neighborhood

Senate Proposal Would Block EPA on Greenhouse Gas Regulations

2011-01-31T19:55:00.000-08:00

The NYT reports that a new bill to block the EPA from taking any action to regulate greenhouse gases to address climate change has been introduced in the Senate. It's "one of several assaults on the E.P.A.’s regulatory authority that will be coming from Republicans and coal-state Democrats in both houses of Congress in coming days."

Senator Boxer announced she would oppose the bill, which is sponsored by seven Republican Senators.

Senator Rockefeller (West Virginia) and several other coal-country Democrats support a less-sweeping two-year moratorium on E.P.A. regulation of carbon emissions to give Congress time to draft a law to address the issue.

"Wyoming Senator Seeks to Lasso E.P.A.," The New York Times

Last Week's Stories

2011-01-31T10:44:00.000-08:00

Obama Touts Transportation in State of Union Speech

Vancouver Will Host House Transport Committee Meeting

US Chamber & AFL-CIO Praise Obama's Focus on Transportation

Will Earmark Ban Apply to the Transportation Authorization Bill?

No Earmarks for Two Years

House's Authorization Listening Sessions Scheduled

Rep. Herrera Beutler Announces Town Halls

Golden Gate Bridge Converting to All Electronic Tolling

Herrera Beutler's Reaction to Committee Assignments

Monday Update

2011-01-31T10:34:00.000-08:00

~~The House and Senate are in session this week.~~ The House is in recess, while the Senate is in session and scheduled to debate the reauthorization of the Federal Aviation programs and funding. The authorization has been extended 17 times and is scheduled to expire on March 31. The Senate Finance committee is scheduled to hold a hearing on the Airport and Airway Trust Fund on Thursday.

After a slow start, delayed additionally because of the Arizona tragedy, Congress is getting organized and picking up the pace of work. A number of Committees are meeting this week for the first time.

The President delivered his State of the Union speech last week and included more references to infrastructure than any President in the last twenty years, according to Transportation Weekly.

House Transportation Committee Chair John Mica and Senate Environment & Public Works Committee Chair Barbara Boxer (D-CA) each held hearings last week on reauthorization. Both repeated their intention to pass a bill by early fall. Both indicated strong support for a six-year bill rather than a shorter two or three-year bill; however without a new revenue source that will mean reduced funding levels and potentially program terminations.

Status Reports:

Authorization, SAFETEA-LU
T-LU is extended through March 4th, per language in the continuing resolution. It's likely that another short term extension will be enacted. Most observers think it's unlikely a multi-year bill will pass until after the Presidential election. Both the House and Senate have started conducting hearings on a new authorization bill. Related stories: Will Earmark Ban Apply to the Transportation Authorization Bill? and House's Authorization Listening Sessions Scheduled

The House GOP adopted a new legislative rule that will allow the House to allocate less transportation funding than is authorized by SAFETEA-LU. The Senate is not likely to follow suit, setting up a contentious negotiation on the FY 2012 appropriations bills later this year. Read about the potential impact on WA state.

Appropriations
USDOT and federal agencies are funded through March 4th, 2011. House Republicans will redraft the House's FFY spending bills, and almost certainly reduce spending from the previous (Democratic-written) draft. The bill will not include earmarks.

See these stories for details:
No Earmarks for Two Years, What Happens Next with Earmark Funds?, Omnibus is Dead and What Transportation Lost When the Omnibus Died. The Omnibus bill designated about $221 million to 57 projects in WA state. (The dollar amount was reduced from the earlier Senate draft bill.)

Aviation Authorization:
The FAA authorization is extended through March 31st, 2011. This is the 17th extension since the authorization bill expired at the end of fiscal 2007.

Climate Change
Bipartisan legislation to delay EPA's looming regulations of green house gas emissions died in December. Senator Boxer announced she will continue to work to protect EPA authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. Democratic Senator Jay Rockefeller said he would reintroduce legislation to suspend the EPA's authority, and several bills to delay or strip funding for EPA's greenhouse gas rules have been introduced in the House.

Obama Touts Transportation in State of Union Speech

2011-01-31T10:31:00.000-08:00

In his State of the Union speech President Obama made more specific references to infrastructure than any President in a SOTU speech in twenty years, according to Jeff Davis of Transportation Weekly.

Here are the President's comments, followed by links to some selected news coverage:

"The third step in winning the future is rebuilding America. To attract new businesses to our shores, we need the fastest, most reliable ways to move people, goods, and information -- from high-speed rail to high-speed Internet. (Applause.)

Our infrastructure used to be the best, but our lead has slipped. South Korean homes now have greater Internet access than we do. Countries in Europe and Russia invest more in their roads and railways than we do. China is building faster trains and newer airports. Meanwhile, when our own engineers graded our nation’s infrastructure, they gave us a “D.”

We have to do better. America is the nation that built the transcontinental railroad, brought electricity to rural communities, constructed the Interstate Highway System. The jobs created by these projects didn’t just come from laying down track or pavement. They came from businesses that opened near a town’s new train station or the new off-ramp.

So over the last two years, we’ve begun rebuilding for the 21st century, a project that has meant thousands of good jobs for the hard-hit construction industry. And tonight, I’m proposing that we redouble those efforts. (Applause.)

We’ll put more Americans to work repairing crumbling roads and bridges. We’ll make sure this is fully paid for, attract private investment, and pick projects based [on] what’s best for the economy, not politicians.

Within 25 years, our goal is to give 80 percent of Americans access to high-speed rail. (Applause.) This could allow you to go places in half the time it takes to travel by car. For some trips, it will be faster than flying –- without the pat-down. (Laughter and applause.) As we speak, routes in California and the Midwest are already underway.

Within the next five years, we’ll make it possible for businesses to deploy the next generation of high-speed wireless coverage to 98 percent of all Americans. This isn’t just about -- (applause) -- this isn’t about faster Internet or fewer dropped calls. It’s about connecting every part of America to the digital age. It’s about a rural community in Iowa or Alabama where farmers and small business owners will be able to sell their products all over the world. It’s about a firefighter who can download the design of a burning building onto a handheld device; a student who can take classes with a digital textbook; or a patient who can have face-to-face video chats with her doctor.

All these investments -– in innovation, education, and infrastructure –- will make America a better place to do business and create jobs. But to help our companies compete, we also have to knock down barriers that stand in the way of their success."

Selected press coverage:

"Obama Outlines Infrastructure Goals, But Not How To Finance Them," Infrastructurist

"Obama Aims to Boost Infrastructure Spending," Wall Street Journal

"Renewed Emphasis on Infrastructure and High-Speed Rail," New York Times

"AASHTO Supports President Obama's Vision for Transportation Investment," AASHTO

"Obama: Europe and Russia Invest More in Roads and Railways Than We Do," Streets Blog

US Chamber & AFL-CIO Praise Obama's Focus on Transportation

2011-01-31T09:59:00.000-08:00

A joint statement from an unusual pair, about President Obama's comments in his State of the Union speech:

"America's working families and business community stand united in applauding President Obama's call to create jobs and grow our economy through investment in our nation's infrastructure.

"Whether it is building roads, bridges, high-speed broadband, energy systems and schools, these projects not only create jobs and demand for businesses, they are an investment in building the modern infrastructure our country needs to compete in a global economy.

"With the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the AFL-CIO standing together to support job creation, we hope that Democrats and Republicans in Congress will also join together to build America's infrastructure."

Will Earmark Ban Apply to the Transportation Authorization Bill?

2011-01-31T09:03:00.000-08:00

The President was clear in his January State of the Union address: "If a bill comes to my desk with earmarks inside, I will veto it."

So it would seem that a replacement for SAFETEA-LU would not include earmarks.

Prior to the President's pronouncement, some Senators and Representatives suggested that transportation be exempt from an earmark ban. The reason is transportation projects' ability to sustain and create jobs, and stimulate the economy through the purchase of construction materials and goods.

The President has boxed himself in. It will be difficult in later months for him to announce an exemption for transportation, without appearing to break his word. But, if transportation stakeholders can make a persuasive argument, and bipartisan Congressional support emerges, there just might be some hope for project funding.

No Earmarks for Two Years

2011-01-31T08:55:00.000-08:00

"If a bill comes to my desk with earmarks inside, I will veto it. I will veto it" - President Obama, in last week's State of the Union speech.

And so, we can expect the earmarks in the FY 2011 appropriations bill to disappear. You won't have to bother with filling out forms for the FY 2012 earmarks either. And the odds of FY 2013 earmarks (the bill crafted in the federal election year) are slim and none.

This is particularly bad news for local agencies and tribes, who receive the bulk of transportation earmarks (not State DOTs). View the list of WA 2011 earmarks which are now canceled.

And read what might happen next with the funding that was set aside for earmarking.

House's Authorization Listening Sessions Scheduled

2011-01-31T08:26:00.000-08:00

Details about House Transportation Chair John Mica's listening sessions are beginning to trickle out. We now know the dates (all in February) and locations:

14th - West Virginia

17th - Philadelphia area

18th - Upstate New York (Rochester)

19-20 - OH (Columbus), Indiana (Indianapolis) and Illinois (likely Chicago area)

21-23 - OR (Portland), Washington (Vancouver), California (Fresno, and southern California)

24-26 - TBD, but rumors are Memphis, Oklahoma City and maybe South Florida

Rep. Herrera Beutler Announces Town Halls

2011-01-29T10:00:00.000-08:00

Photo:Politico

Longview and Battle Ground will be the locations for the first Town Halls held by Rep. Herrera Beutler.

This is a good opportunity for transportation stakeholders to show up and tell a story about the benefits of investing in transportation: job preservation and creation, reliving congestion, increased safety, reduced transportation-related air and water pollution, and cheaper delivery of goods to market.

Tuesday, Feb. 1 – 6:30-7:30 p.m. at Cowlitz PUD in Longview.

Thursday, Feb. 3 – 6:30-7:30 p.m. at Battle Ground City Hall in Battle Ground.

Golden Gate Bridge Converting to All Electronic Tolling

2011-01-29T09:00:00.000-08:00

Beginning in late 2012, Golden Gate bridge tolls will be collected electronically and the cash payment option will be eliminated.

The conversion is expected to "improve travel times and reduce congestion caused by cash toll collection, improve safety by ending stops, lane changes and merges, and reduce fuel consumption and tailpipe emissions."

The bridge already has modern electronic toll equipment, cameras for enforcement, and adaptable software, so the conversion cost is modest compared to operations savings.

"Golden Gate Bridge to have all-electronic toll system by last quarter of 2012," TollRoads News

Vancouver Will Host House Transport Committee Meeting

2011-01-26T10:52:00.000-08:00

House Transportation Chair John Mica this morning told a group that a public listening session will be held in Vancouver and Portland in the coming months. The cities will be part of a national listening tour, and exact dates will be announced soon.

What does it mean for WA state?

It's a great opportunity to focus the attention of the chair and committee on WA state's transportation needs and the importance of our network to the national economy. It's also a chance to highlight WSDOT's experience with transparency, performance measures and accountability; and our state's fine record of delivering projects on time and on budget.

It's also a chance to highlight the success of the Amtrak Cascades service and show that intercity passenger rail can be successful and ridership can grow if the service is given time and resources.

What will the President say?

2011-01-25T13:55:00.000-08:00

I'm live tweeting from a meeting with 11 USDOT execs discussing authorization. If you can't follow me at @Transpo_Issues, below is a partial recap from TransportNation. I'll post my tweets in a story later.

What will the President say about Transportation in tonight's state of the union? Hints here from USDOT http://bit.ly/hy7u1C

Herrera Beutler's Reaction to Committee Assignments

2011-01-24T08:00:00.000-08:00

Excerpts from the Congresswoman's press release:

Congresswoman Herrera Beutler today announced her appointments to three Transportation and Infrastructure subcommittees, including a vice-chairmanship of the Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee. She will also serve on the Highway and Transit; and on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Subcommittees.

“I’m excited about receiving these subcommittee assignments because now I can get to work on specific transportation- and infrastructure-related issues that affect the economic stability and well-being of communities throughout Southwest Washington,” said Herrera Beutler. “We have a lot of work to do, but I am ready to roll up my sleeves and serve Southwest Washington.”

Despite her status as a first-term Member of Congress, Herrera Beutler will hold a position of leadership as a Subcommittee Vice Chair within the largest committee in Congress. Her subcommittee roles will allow her to work toward better flood protection, increased disaster preparedness and improved infrastructure to foster economic development and job growth in communities across Southwest Washington.

Monday Update

2011-01-23T19:47:00.000-08:00

The President delivers his State of the Union speech Tuesday night (6pm pacific) and is expected to discuss jobs and infrastructure investment.

The Senate holds its first hearing on crafting legislation to replace SAFETEA-LU. Speakers represent the construction industry and State DOT's.

The House is scheduled to vote on and pass language reducing FFY 2011 spending by about $55 billion. The Senate is expected to reject such cuts. It's starting to look like this won't be resolved by March 4th, and that another short term spending bill will be required.

Status Reports:

Authorization, SAFETEA-LU
T-LU is extended through March 4th, per language in the continuing resolution. Since it wasn't extended for a longer period, this may be a sign that transportation committee leaders are serious about trying to enact a long term authorization. However most observers think it's unlikely a multi-year bill will pass until after the Presidential election.

Rep. Mica announced he will hold hearings in DC and around the country beginning in mid to late February on authorization issues.

The House GOP adopted a new legislative rule that will allow the House to allocate less transportation funding than is authorized by SAFETEA-LU. The Senate is not likely to follow suit, setting up a contentious negotiation on the FY 2012 appropriations bills later this year. Read about the potential impact on WA state.

Sen. Boxer announced she "will fight to the end" against reducing transport funding.

Appropriations
USDOT and federal agencies are funded through March 4th, 2011. House Republicans will redraft the House's FFY spending bills, and almost certainly reduce spending from the previous (Democratic-written) draft. The Senate earmarks are almost certainly dead.

See these stories for details: What Happens Next with Earmark Funds?, Omnibus is Dead and What Transportation Lost When the Omnibus Died. The Omnibus bill designated about $221 million to 57 projects in WA state. (The dollar amount was reduced from the earlier Senate draft bill.)

Aviation Authorization:
The FAA authorization is extended through March 31st, 2011. This is the 17th extension since the authorization bill expired at the end of fiscal 2007.

Climate Change
Bipartisan legislation to delay EPA's looming regulations of green house gas emissions died in December. Senator Boxer announced she will continue to work to protect EPA authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. Democratic Senator Jay Rockefeller said he would reintroduce legislation to suspend the EPA's authority, and at least three bills to delay or strip funding for EPA's greenhouse gas rules have been introduced in the House.

Last week's stories:

Larsen, Herrera Beutler Secure Transpo Subcommittee Assignments

Mica: Next Transportation Bill May Have Less Funding Than SAFETEA-LU

AASHTO, AGC React to GOP Proposal to Slash Rail & Transit Funding

Republicans: Cut Nearly $6 Billion Funding for Amtrak, & Transit. Now.

LaHood: We'll Have A New SAFETEA-LU by August

LaHood's Brain Teaser on Investing in Passenger Rail

Amtrak Cascades Ridership Grew 10% in 2010

Will You Tell Congress About Transportation Needs?

Mica Supports High Speed Rail in Florida, But. . .

Senate Hearing on Replacing SAFETEA-LU

What Role For Private Funding of Public Infrastructure?

Strong Potential Ridership Growth for Cascadia HIgh Speed Rail

Good News for Mega Projects, Not So for Bike/Ped & Enhancement Projects

Spending Cuts Coming

Urban Sustainability: European Success Stories

Urban Sustainability: European Success Stories

2011-01-22T10:00:00.000-08:00

City-University Partnerships for Urban Sustainability: European Success Stories is a workshop presented in DC this Wednesday, January 26th. A recap of the briefing and streaming video will be posted a few days later. Here are the details:

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI), the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU), the Coalition of Urban Serving Universities, and the Virginia Tech Energy Efficiency Partnership invite you to a briefing with officials from the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland to discuss city/university partnerships on projects such as high-performance buildings, advanced transportation systems, and smart grid development that are helping cities reduce energy use and improve livability. Speakers will discuss novel technologies, strategies and policies that are taking hold across Europe by saving money for consumers and businesses, improving services and quality of life, creating jobs and addressing local and global environmental problems.

While nations struggle to address global issues such as energy security and climate change, the future of economic, social and environmental sustainability must be shaped at the metropolitan level. But how will cash-strapped local governments be able to address today's complex and interrelated challenges? Many think a new paradigm is needed to create holistic solutions and replace planning and funding silos with regional innovation and strategic partnerships. This briefing will focus on how local governments and universities are collaborating on research agendas, training programs and innovative ideas that local governments can easily access and apply to meet local needs and foster economic prosperity.

Municipal and university officials from Philadelphia, Portland (Oregon), and Washington, DC, will join their European colleagues as discussants in the Q&A session, which is envisioned as part of an ongoing transatlantic network intent on sharing lessons learned and implementing best practices in sustainable development. In this time of fiscal constraint, with increasing demand for consumer goods and services, energy and natural resources, this interaction is seen as a critical and cost effective resource.

This briefing is free and open to the public. No RSVP required.
For more information, contact Ellen Vaughan at evaughan@eesi.org or (202) 662-1893.

Mica: Next Transportation Bill May Have Less Funding Than SAFETEA-LU

2011-01-21T15:01:00.000-08:00

House Transportation Chair John Mica, says not to expect a bill that calls for more spending than the Highway Trust Fund can sustain.

Congressional Quarterly reports:
"This may well mean a Mica-drafted surface transportation bill with around $250 billion in new budgetary authority over the next six years — less than the last law, despite growing infrastructure needs, and about half of the $500 billion bill that Mica’s Democratic predecessor sought to pass in the last Congress.

According to the American Society for Civil Engineers, deteriorating infrastructure contributes to the traffic congestion that costs motorists almost a full week of work and 40 gallons of gasoline a year, at an average per-motorist cost of $808.

. . . .Mica said instead of looking for ways to get more cash into the trust fund, he would rather find ways to better leverage the money that’s already coming in.

“I could take up to a $250 billion bill and leverage it by five, four times. . . .and will rely on other forms of “innovative” financing — tolling, public-private partnerships and tinkering with existing successful bond and loan programs."

"Surface Transportation Spending Targets Likely to Shrink, Chairman Says," Congressional Quarterly (sub required)

AASHTO, AGC React to GOP Proposal to Slash Rail & Transit Funding

2011-01-21T14:54:00.000-08:00

From AASHTO:

"During a Wednesday event at Washington's Union Station to launch a campaign seeking Americans to speak out in favor of transportation, transportation leaders said cutting federal infrastructure investment levels would be devastating.

"As two congressionally appointed commissions concluded, we are presently investing well below what is needed in this country -- only about 40% of what's needed, so that's a 60% gap," said John Horsley, executive director of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. "It will set us back if Congress curtails the programs. The good news is we have been able to sustain spending from '09 levels in 2010 and to pursue the same level in 2011, but if they cut it back, we won't be able to do the preservation work that's needed, we won't be able to do the capacity work that's needed."

Brian Turmail, senior director of public affairs for the Associated General Contractors of America, said rolling back federal transportation spending to 2008 levels would be a "double whammy" to the construction industry when combined with the phase-out this year of additional investment from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

"The last thing anyone in government would want to do is take steps to undermine our economic recovery," he said. "If there is any kind of rollback in transportation investment levels, you'd see the construction unemployment numbers get even worse."

Republicans: Cut Nearly $6 Billion Funding for Amtrak, & Transit. Now.

2011-01-21T14:39:00.000-08:00

An influential group of House Republicans is proposing to eliminate about $1.6 billion a year in Amtrak grants, $2 billion in New Starts grants, and $2.5 billion in intercity and high-speed rail grants. The New Starts program funds commuter rail, light rail, heavy rail, bus rapid transit, streetcar, and ferry projects across the nation.

The group is the Republican Study Committee, and membership includes about two-thirds of House Republicans. The proposal is part of a larger plan to cut $100 billion from non-defense discretionary spending in the current budget year. House Rules Committee Chairman David Dreier commented that "We want to just as quickly as possible begin this process of reducing the size and reach of government."

Will the proposal pass? What's it mean for WA transportation stakeholders?

The House Republican proposal can be considered as one end of the spectrum of proposals, and is unlikely to become law as drafted. The Senate and White House would certainly strongly oppose cuts that deep.

But the proposal should not be dismissed. It will gain significant support in the House and some support within the Senate.

And even if the cuts were reduced by half, there still would be a significantly negative impact on current and future light rail and transit projects and in particular, the future of intercity passenger rail. Advocates better be dusting off their advocacy communications plans.

Here are some recent projects funded through programs the House Republicans propose to de-fund:

2011 fiscal year (note: proposed funding which is not yet passed into law)
West Seattle Bus Rapid Transit, $21,274,000
Sound Transit University Link LRT Extension, $110,000,000
Columbia River Crossing, $29,000,000

2010 fiscal year (approximate funding)
Bellevue to Redmond Bus Rapid Transit, $9,368,193
Seattle Pacific Highway South Bus Rapid Transit, $6,815
Sound Transit University Link LRT Extension, $110,000,000
Sound Transit, Central Link Light Rail, Initial Link, $3,144,294

2009 fiscal year (approximate funding)
Bellevue to Redmond Bus Rapid Transit, $10,952,330
Sound Transit, Central Link Light Rail, Initial Link, $25,962,062
Sound Transit University Link LRT Extension, $100,000,000
Seattle Pacific Highway South Bus Rapid Transit, $281,520

Sources and additional reading:

"Republicans Propose Spending Cuts Targeting Amtrak, Transit Funding," Streetsblog Capitol Hill

"Republican committee members propose to slash transit funding through spending cut bill," Progressive Railroading

"Spending cuts would hit Amtrak, Metro,"Washington Post

Will You Tell Congress About Transportation Needs?

2011-01-21T08:38:00.000-08:00

The national association of State DOTs, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) is enlisting the public's help in making the case to Congress about the need for transportation improvements and funding. The Washington Post reports:

"AASHTO Executive Director John Horsely and other transportation leaders kicked off a six-week social media campaign Wednesday at Union Station to generate public response about the country's transportation needs.

"What better time than now during the first month of the new Congress to tell members what Americans need and want when it comes to transportation," said Horsley. "We expect Congress to draft new legislation this year that will set transportation policy and funding levels for years to come. It is AASHTO's goal to help Congress understand the priorities of the American people."

AASHTO is encouraging people to post comments and videos to its Facebook page under the heading "I Told Congress About Transportation."

AASHTO plans to compile the videos and comments and present them to federal officials in March. The most recent six-year transportation funding law expired on Sept. 30, 2009. Congress has passed several temporary extensions but has been unable to agree on a long-term plan."

Senate Hearing on Replacing SAFETEA-LU

2011-01-20T15:00:00.000-08:00

The Senate's first hearing in 2010 on replacing SAFETEA-LU now has a title: "Transportation's Role in Supporting Our Economy and Job Creation." The list of speakers has not yet been published.

The hearing is Wednesday, January 26th, 7am Pacific / 10am Eastern.

Related story:

Where Will Construction Workers Find Their Next Jobs?

Larsen, Herrera Beutler Secure Transpo Subcommittee Assignments

2011-01-20T14:14:00.000-08:00

Photo: Politico

WA state is fortunate to have two members on the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, Republican Representative Herrera Beutler, and Democratic Representative Rick Larsen. The Committee is is charged with authorizing federal transportation policy, programs and funding.

Rep. Herrera Beutler secured the following subcommittee assignments:

Water Resources and Environment (Vice Chair)
Highways and Transit
Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials

Rep. Rick Larsen secured these subcommittee assignments:

Coast Guard and Maritime (Ranking Minority Member)
Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials

What is the impact for WA transportation interests?

We're especially fortunate to have a member from each party. It increases the odds of committee bipartisan support for policies or funding that impacts WA projects which have a national significance.

Rep. Larsen talks transportation

The fact that Herrera Beutler and Larsen secured leadership positions (Vice Chair, and Ranking, respectively) indicates they are trusted and well liked by leadership. That's good news when it comes to advocating for policies and funding that benefits the WA transportation network and the businesses and communities that depend on it.

Highways and Transit is a obviously key committee for authorization. Having Herrera Beutler, a member of the majority party, on this committee will help to ensure that WA's (and the PacNW's) state, local and tribal highway, transit and freight needs are articulated to leadership and should help to secure an amount of funding that we otherwise might not achieve.

Larsen's Ranking Member position on the Coast Guard and Maritime Subcommittee is welcome news for Ferries, NW ports and their customers, and other maritime stakeholders. Subcommittee's jurisdiction covers Coast Guard operations, regulation of cargo vessels, oil spill prevention and response, the Jones Act, and many aspects of port security. Rep. Larsen will play a significant role in the Subcommittee’s oversight of these programs.

Herrera Beutler's Vice Chair position on Water Resources is great news in particular for the Columbia River users and Chehalis River basin stakeholders. If the Committee marks up a water resources development bill, as expected, Herrera Beutler will play a key role on Army Corps issues affecting WA state and the NW.

Having both Larsen and Herrera Buetler on the Railroads and Pipelines subcomm will benefit NW passenger and freight rail advocates and interests. This is a committee whose importance has grown with the initiation and development of a federal high-speed rail program.

And last but certainly not least: Oregon Rep. Peter DeFazio continues to serve on the committee. He'll serve as the Ranking Minority Member on the Highways and Transit Subcommittee. That's good news for the Columbia River Crossing stakeholders (regardless of their position on the project). DeFazio also will serve as the only NW representative on the Aviation subcommittee.

Another member who has advocated for NW transportation interests in the past is Republican Rep. Don Young of Alaska. He will serve on the Coast Guard/Maritime, Highways/Transit, and Water Resources subcommittees.

Tim Lovain of Denny Miller Associates contributed to this story.

What Role For Private Funding of Public Infrastructure?

2011-01-20T12:00:00.000-08:00

The National Journal observes that "both the Obama administration and Republicans in Congress say they want to marshal the power of the private sector in developing and maintaining the nation's infrastructure" and poses the following questions:

"What is the appropriate role for businesses in government infrastructure? Can public-private partnerships be leveraged to bring forth projects that otherwise would languish for lack of funding? Are there barriers that keep businesses from stepping up to invest in major infrastructure? If so, what can be done to remove them?

Public-private partnerships can mean different things to different people,notes the Journal, observing that "Most transportation lobbyists are referring to some type of tolling when they speak of public-private partnerships. The administration has a slightly more expansive view with its proposed infrastructure fund, believing that businesses can involve themselves in all manner of government projects, such as putting up loans and contracting parts of projects."

Read the views of the Journal's panel of transportation experts on the issue.

Strong Potential Ridership Growth for Cascadia HIgh Speed Rail

2011-01-20T11:00:00.000-08:00

A new study released recently by America 2050 identifies the high-speed rail corridors with the greatest potential to attract ridership in each of the nation's megaregions. Corridors connecting populous regions with large job centers, rail transit networks, and existing air markets scored best. The study also recommends that the federal government adopt a quantitative approach to evaluating future investment in high-speed rail.

Here's the link to the report on the Pacific NW: Cascadia

Here's more information:
News release
Executive summary
Ridership: The Key To Success
Regional Profiles of Rail Corridors

America 2050 is "a national initiative to develop an infrastructure plan for the United States that will position America for equitable, sustainable and prosperous economic growth."

Spending Cuts Coming

2011-01-20T10:00:00.000-08:00

House Republicans held a planning retreat last weekend. Leadership used the time in part to prepare lawmakers for the fact that they will be called on to approve an increase in federal borrowing power, a vote many Republicans find objectionable. However, members made it clear that they intend to demand substantial spending cuts as their price for supporting the debt limit hike.

Meanwhile, a group of conservative House Republicans plans to introduce a bill Thursday that would cut $2.5 trillion worth of government spending over a decade. Congressional Quarterly reports that the measure would hold fiscal 2011 non-security discretionary spending to fiscal 2008 levels, saving a total of $80 billion over 10 years, according to a summary of the measure.

LaHood's Brain Teaser on Investing in Passenger Rail

2011-01-20T09:19:00.000-08:00

Last week Secretary LaHood offered this brain teaser related to the current debate over investing in high speed rail: What if President had "waited until he had all the cash on hand, all the lines drawn on a map, and all the naysayers on board." His answer:

"America would not boast the state-of-the-art interstate highway system we have today. . . .When it comes to high-speed rail, we stand at a similar crossroads. And, if we fail to prepare for the decades ahead by taking similarly innovative steps to add capacity to our infrastructure, we will shortchange future generations and deprive them of the tools they will need to compete in a global economy."

LaHood goes on to say that "With our population expected to swell by 70 million over the next 25 years, continuing to rely on congested highways and overburdened airports is simply unsustainable and would constrain America’s economic growth."

In 2010 Amtrak Cascades ridership increased 10% over the previous year. Critics who allege the increase is due only to the Vancouver Olympics miss the fact that ridership in non-Olympic months also increased. And that ridership has steadily increased over time.

And yes, Amtrak service is subsidized. Just like every other mode.

Read the rest of Sec. LaHood's argument for investing in high speed passenger rail:
Passenger rail investments add needed capacity to America's transportation infrastructure, USDOT Secretary Ray LaHood's blog

Good News for Mega Projects, Not So for Bike/Ped & Enhancement Projects

2011-01-20T09:00:00.000-08:00

Transportation Nation’s Todd Zwillich interviews House Transportation Chair John Mica, "about rumors of raiding the Highway Trust Fund, stretching infrastructure money farther, and why the new chairman is so optimistic he can get a transportation bill passed in a partisan congress."

Read the full interview, and here's an excerpt of Mica's comments:

"what we will be looking at in the next authorization bill are alternate means of financing so that the revenues can be stabilized. We’ll look at how to do more, as I said, with less. Maybe cutting some of the frill programs. And giving states more discretion. And then prioritizing how we spend federal money.

It really should be for federal projects or projects of national commercial,or national interest that we pass federal legislation and put federal money in if you get the point.

....We need to speed up the process, cut red tape. We also need a long-term policy so the federal government can be a stable partner with states. They’ll know what the revenue is. We won’t just be doing short term paving and sidewalk projects. We’ll be doing long term investment in infrastructure."

Good news for mega projects, not so good news for bike/ped, enhancement and livability projects.

Mica Supports High Speed Rail in Florida, But. . .

2011-01-20T08:00:00.000-08:00

High speed rail advocates have been wringing hands wondering where new House Transportation Chair Jim Mica will land on high speed rail funding and policy. He's expressed support for the NE corridor service, but has questioned high speed rail funding and in particular, start-up corridors including Florida's. He's also questioned the transparency of USDOT's grant process.

But Tuesday Rep. Mica expressed support for constructing a high-speed rail system between Orlando and Tampa. The caveat is that the funding shortfall should be provided by the private sector and not state government.

Mica also referred to Amtrak as "the country's Soviet-style train system."

I think Mica's support for the NE Corridor and the Orlando-Tampa project can leave us cautiously optimistic about Mica's potential support for the Amtrak Cascades service. Ridership has grown continuously over time and while there's not a lot of private funding, the states have contributed significant support. And the service has proven to generate tourism and related spending.

"Mica supports billion-dollar high-speed rail in Florida, with a caveat," Florida Times-Union

LaHood: We'll Have A New SAFETEA-LU by August

2011-01-19T16:50:00.000-08:00

Last Tuesday USDOT Secretary Ray LaHood said he was confident a multiyear bill to replace SAFETEA-LU "can be passed by Congress and signed into law by the August summer recess."
DCVelocity reports that

"LaHood said he was confident that the timetable could be met even with a Republican-controlled House of Representatives and pledges of spending austerity from some members of Congress. That's because Congress recognizes that transportation funding is a bipartisan issue that benefits the nation through improved infrastructure and enhanced job-creation, LaHood said.
"There are no Republican or Democratic runways. There are no Republican or Democratic roads. There are no Republican or Democratic bridges."

LaHood: Transport funding bill to be signed by August recess, DC Velocity

Amtrak Cascades Ridership Grew 10% in 2010

2011-01-19T09:43:00.000-08:00

From the WSDOT news release:

Ridership on Amtrak Cascades finished 2010 with a 16-year high of 838,251 passengers. Total annual ridership exceeded 2009 by 76,641 for a 10 percent increase. The final ridership total capped a year of record heights where eight of the 12 months set new benchmarks.

“This tremendous growth in ridership confirms the demand for Amtrak Cascades and the need to continue improving the service and reliability,” said Washington State Transportation Secretary Paula Hammond. “The next steps in our long-term plan will improve rail infrastructure, reduce freight- and passenger-train congestion and expand Amtrak Cascades service.”

Washington State received $782 million in federal Recovery Act funds for high-speed rail in 2010. WSDOT will invest the federal money in Amtrak Cascades, a high speed passenger rail service as a convenient travel option that eases traffic congestion and reduces emissions.

The fourth quarter of 2010 set a new ridership record with an increase of more than 1,700 riders over 2009, making it the highest fourth-quarter ridership since 1994. Total ridership for the fourth quarter was 202,675.

Service to Vancouver, B.C., remained in high demand and contributed to Amtrak Cascades ridership growth. More than 138,000 riders traveled to and from Vancouver, B.C., in 2010. A second daily train to Vancouver, B.C., began in August 2009 which provided more travel options for Amtrak Cascades passengers especially during the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. The second train is to remain in service through at least October 2011.

Amtrak Cascades operates three daily round trips between Portland and Seattle; one daily round trip each between Seattle and Vancouver, B.C., and Portland and Vancouver, B.C.; and daily service between Seattle and Eugene, Ore., via Portland. Amtrak Cascades is operated by Amtrak in partnership with the Washington and Oregon departments of transportation. Learn more about Amtrak Cascades fares and schedules.

Monday Morning Update

2011-01-18T09:29:00.000-08:00

There are no significant updates since last Monday. The Senate remains in recess until January 25. The House resumes legislative activity this week, focusing on the debate and vote to repeal the health care bill.

Last week's key activities:

Authorization, SAFETEA-LU
T-LU is extended through March 4th, per language in the continuing resolution. Since it wasn't extended for a longer period, this may be a sign that transportation committee leaders are serious about trying to enact a long term authorization. However most observers think it's unlikely a multi-year bill will pass until after the Presidential election.

Senator Barbara Boxer has scheduled a hearing for January 26th to discuss replacing SAFETEA-LU. Rep. Mica announced he will hold hearings in DC and around the country beginning in mid to late February on authorization issues.

The House GOP adopted a new legislative rule that will allow the House to allocate less transportation funding than is authorized by SAFETEA-LU. The Senate is not likely to follow suit, setting up a contentious negotiation on the FY 2012 appropriations bills later this year. Read about the potential impact on WA state.
Sen. Boxer announced she "will fight to the end" against reducing transport funding.

Appropriations
USDOT and federal agencies are funded through March 4th, 2011. House Republicans will redraft the House's FFY spending bills, and almost certainly reduce spending from the previous (Democratic-written) draft. The Senate earmarks are almost certainly dead.

See these stories for details: What Happens Next with Earmark Funds?, Omnibus is Dead and What Transportation Lost When the Omnibus Died. The Omnibus bill designated about $221 million to 57 projects in WA state. (The dollar amount was reduced from the earlier Senate draft bill.)

Aviation Authorization:
The FAA authorization is extended through March 31st, 2011. This is the 17th extension since the authorization bill expired at the end of fiscal 2007.

Climate Change
Bipartisan legislation to delay EPA's looming regulations of green house gas emissions died in December. Senator Boxer announced she will continue to work to protect EPA authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. Democratic Senator Jay Rockefeller said he would reintroduce legislation to suspend the EPA's authority, and at least three bills to delay or strip funding for EPA's greenhouse gas rules have been introduced in the House.

Senator Joe Lieberman, one of the lead architects of failed cap-and-trade legislation, says he is going “back to the beginning” and will resume working with key Republicans to craft energy and climate legislation.

Last week's stories:

Cantwell Postpones Appropriations Request Deadline

Top Democratic Senator: "We May Have To Give Up Earmarks"

Where Will Construction Workers Find Their Next Jobs?

What Traffic Engineers Say, What Public Hears

Natural Gas Will Grow As Alternate to Gas & Diesel

Cantwell Postpones Appropriations Request Deadline

2011-01-14T12:55:00.000-08:00

(Updated 3:30pm with announcement language.)

We have just learned that Senator Cantwell's office has postponed the January 28th deadline for submitting FFY 2012 appropriations requests. No word on a new deadline.

From the announcement:

"Owing to recent events, including the developments with the fiscal year 2011 Omnibus, we have decided to push back our fiscal year 2012 deadline for appropriations requests to a date to be determined.

We hope this postponement will allow time for the resolution of unresolved questions regarding the fiscal year 2012 appropriations process, as well as give organizations additional time to evaluate their needs and fill out our form. Once a final deadline is decided, it will be both posted online and emailed out."

Where Will Construction Workers Find Their Next Jobs?

2011-01-11T10:00:00.000-08:00

Six more Recovery Act projects were completed recently. With most projects completed, few starting up, and the potential for reduced federal transportation funding, where will these construction workers find their next jobs?

ARRA highway projects have provided over $144 million in payroll since February 2009, to employees working over 3.7 million hours.
Here's the latest Recovery Act update from WSDOT:

More than 80% of Recovery Act highway projects now complete – WSDOT and local governments have now completed more than 80% of the projects receiving almost $500 million in Federal Highway Administration stimulus funding.

Local governments have completed 144 projects and WSDOT has completed 41, including two Recovery Act-funded bucket programs that installed rumble strips and installed and upgraded cable median barriers on urban and rural highways at various locations throughout the state.

Six new projects were recently completed, including two sections of the North Creek Trail and improvements to the Wahkiakum County ferry terminal on the Columbia River. All FHWA Recovery Act-funded state and local projects are now either completed, under way, or have been awarded to contractors.

Bothell – North Creek Trail Section 1 Phase 2
Bothell – North Creek Trail Section 2 Phase 2
Bothell – Annual Asphalt Overlay
Everett – Annual Asphalt Overlay
Mountlake Terrace – 230th Street Reconstruction
Wahkiakum County – Ferry Terminal

Recently awarded projects:
Bainbridge Island – Manitou/N Madison Overlay
Poulsbo – Noll Road
Spokane – Hatch Road

What Traffic Engineers Say, What Public Hears

2011-01-11T08:30:00.000-08:00

Last week I republished a humorous look at what What Planners Mean...What Developers Hear. This week we take a look at engineers. This is a good reminder to all of us who work in transportation, from engineers and planner to government relations folks - how we explain our work is directly related to the public's willingness to support and invest in transportation projects.