Cost and Financing

Congress Takes First Step in FAA Reauthorization

Monday, February 29, 2016 at 12:00 AM

With a short-term reauthorization set to expire March 31, the U.S. House Transportation Committee took the first step in getting long-term funding for the Federal Aviation Administration, or FAA, off the ground. On Feb. 11, the committee passed a bill that would extend funding for the FAA until 2022, and also increase funding for airport infrastructure, privatize air traffic control and integrate drones into American airspace. The big question, however, is whether the bill will survive.

State Investments in Space Launch Facilities

Austin Coleman

Wednesday, June 10, 2015 at 02:30 PM

Traditionally, launching satellites and other equipment into orbit has been the exclusive purview of the federal government, with NASA building and launching the equipment. However, in recent years several private firms have entered the industry, launching on contract for private firms as well as federal agencies, especially the Department of Defense. These launches are extremely expensive, with costs running from $100 million to $460 million, depending on the contractor and...

Top 5 Issues in 2014: Transportation (Expanded Version & Resource Guide)

Sean Slone

Monday, January 6, 2014 at 12:00 AM

State capitals were where the action was in 2013, with six states approving significant revenue packages and a number of others setting in motion plans for 2014, when the activity is expected to continue around the country. Some of the attention now shifts back to Washington as Congress must again consider legislation to authorize federal transportation programs and decide what to do about the dwindling Highway Trust Fund and as the legacy of the 2012 legislation, known as MAP-21, is cemented. Meanwhile public-private partnerships, which have helped some states fund pricey transportation projects and weather fiscal uncertainty in recent years, will likely continue to evolve in the year ahead. All this as officials at all levels of government and other stakeholders continue to seek approaches to ensure the vision of a multi-modal future for communities and commerce is realized. Here’s my expanded article on the top 5 issues in transportation for 2014 and a wide variety of additional CSG and non-CSG resources where you can read more.

Civil Engineers Report: Failure to Improve Transportation Infrastructure Will Cost America Dearly

Sean Slone

Wednesday, July 27, 2011 at 11:33 AM

With Washington still embroiled in the debt ceiling debate and no momentum for a new transportation reauthorization bill, we get a glimpse this week at the potential cost of doing nothing to improve America’s infrastructure. The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) issues a new report today entitled “Failure to Act: The Economic Impact of Current Investment Trends in Surface Transportation Infrastructure.” The report indicates that not only are American households and businesses absorbing enormous costs today as a result of deteriorating infrastructure, over the next 30 years these costs could further reduce America’s productivity and competitiveness in the world, cause millions of Americans to forgo discretionary purchases in order to pay transportation costs that could have been avoided, cause the U.S. to lose out on creating jobs in high paying services and manufacturing industries, produce a significant drain on wages and productivity and result in the United States losing billions of dollars in foreign exports.

The Economic Impact of the Airline Industry in the South

Southern Office

Saturday, May 1, 2004 at 12:00 AM

The airline industry serves not just as an economic engine for states, cities and regions, but as a cog in the essential network of transportation within the United States. Yet the industry finds itself in a very difficult period. With the new focus on homeland security in the United States, exacerbated by war, the terrorist attacks of 2001, a downturn in the economy, and anomalies such as the SARS virus, the airline industry has found itself in a state of turmoil, loss and great trepidation. With the industry especially important to its birthplace, the Southern region, this report highlights the contributions of carriers to local and regional economies and the challenges that face them in Southern states.