Top 5 Issues in 2014: Transportation (Expanded Version & Resource Guide)
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.
Issue Number 1:
MAP-21 Reauthorization & the Future of the Highway Trust Fund
MAP-21, the 2012 federal surface transportation authorization bill, will expire at the end of September. Without Congressional action, the Highway Trust Fund will run out of money in the 2015 fiscal year. The federal gas tax, which is the trust fund’s primary revenue source, has not been raised in more than 20 years and has never been adjusted for inflation. There appears to be little agreement in Congress about which of several avenues to take to ensure the future of the trust fund and the federal transportation program—increasing and/or indexing the gas tax, shoring up the trust fund with another transfer from the general fund, or finding a new, more sustainable primary revenue source. And then there are those who suggest a different path entirely for the federal government with regards to transportation—getting out of the business altogether and devolving the program to the states.
Kentucky Transportation Secretary Mike Hancock is not among the supporters of that last idea.
“What we would love to see is a multi-year bill that includes long-term, sustainable highway funding from the federal government,” said Hancock in a November interview. As the current President of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), Hancock will help lead the push for MAP-21 reauthorization. “We do want and need a vibrant role (for the federal government) in transportation funding in America. There are too many things at a national level that simply require federal involvement. We need to have that consistency in the program as a hallmark of the program.”
Candidly though, Hancock acknowledges the challenge Congress faces in getting MAP-21’s successor across the finish line on time.
“As a transportation professional, I would love to say they’re going to get it done and we’re going to be pleased with the outcome,” he said. “As a realist though, I’ve seen these kinds of situations before and it’s really going to depend on the will of Congress as they approach the last minute, in many respects, as to whether or not transportation will win out over a number of other priorities that they have and we’ll have to see how that plays out.”
The pending insolvency of the Highway Trust Fund and inadequacy of its funding source make the challenge even greater, Hancock said.
“Since 1991, the buying power of the gas tax has eroded by 40 percent or more. So we simply are not keeping pace with inflation and we have not. So there is a strong argument that what we have in terms of the gas tax … is insufficient in its own right. … The gas tax as we look ahead is really in trouble. The (corporate average fuel economy) standards that we’re talking about, increased fuel efficiencies, the alternative fuel sources and their ultimate impact on the Highway Trust Fund and then something that a lot of folks are trying to understand … people are actually just flat driving less. So you put all that together and you have a situation where the Highway Trust Fund is not as strong as it once was. How do we properly plan for transportation improvements in the future knowing that our primary revenue source is not going to perform at the levels it once did? The gas tax—the erosion in its buying power and then the combination of all these other factors—it’s really a difficult time for transportation as we try to envision the future for funding.”
While many want to see the principles of a user fee-based system maintained and perhaps an eventual transition to a mileage-based system at the federal level, some favor an interim step, such as a conversion to a sales tax that would better reflect inflation, but that might be less transparent than the existing per-mile gasoline tax.
CSG Resources
- “There’s Hope for a Transportation Funding Bill in 2014, But Not All Convinced,” Capitol Ideas E-Newsletter, November 7, 2013
- “With Less Than a Year to Go on MAP-21, Future of the Gas Tax is Contemplated and Government Shutdown Prompts Concern,” Capitol Comments Blog, October 4, 2013
- “CSG Approves Transportation Resolutions in KC As Future Funding Gets the Spotlight in DC,” Capitol Comments Blog, September 27, 2013
- “Transportation Funding & Performance in the MAP-21 Era,” Meeting Summary & Highlights from Transportation Public Policy Committee meeting at CSG National Conference in Kansas City, September 20, 2013
Further Reading
Principles for Reauthorization
- “Rejecting Scrooge-Like Transportation Budgets in 2014,” (opinion piece by Edward Wytkind, President of Transportation Trades Department AFL-CIO), Huffington Post, December 27, 2013
- “State DOTs Brazenly Request a Blank Check to Build More Highways,” Streetsblog Capitol Hill, October 30, 2013
- “AASHTO Board of Directors Approves MAP-21 Policy Resolutions at Annual Meeting,” AASHTO Journal, October 25, 2013
Prospects for Reauthorization
- “Outlook 2014: Transportation Funding Decisions Must Be Made,” The Bond Buyer, December 24, 2013
- “Five Predictions for Federal Transportation Issues in 2014,” Transportation Issues Daily, December 13, 2013
- “A Huge Step Forward for Renewing MAP-21,” Transportation Issues Daily, October 24, 2013
Highway Trust Fund
- “Federal Funding: Don’t Read This, It Is Too Depressing,” Transportation Issues Daily,” April 27, 2013
- “House Budget Committee Members and Witnesses Talk Financial Woes of Highway Trust Fund,” AASHTO Journal, April 26, 2013
- “Just How Screwed is the Highway Trust Fund?” Governing, April 24, 2013
- “Statement for the Record on the Status of the Highway Trust Fund (to the House Budget Committee),” Congressional Budget Office, April 24, 2013
Revenue & Policy Options for Congress
- “We Urgently Need to Fix the Gas Tax,” The Atlantic Cities, December 30, 2013
- “New gas tax can help pay for roads and transportation,” (editorial), The Washington Post, December 26, 2013
- “Is a Gas Tax Increase Actually Desirable?” Eno Center for Transportation, December 2013
- “How to Overhaul the Gas Tax,” (op-ed), The New York Times, December 23, 2013
- “(American Public Transportation Association) supports bill that would increase gas tax,” Progressive Railroading, December 10, 2013
- “Raise the Gas Tax! Earl Blumenauer stands up for the best, least popular idea in politics,” Slate, December 9, 2013
- “Bill to set up VMT user fee pilot program introduced,” The Trucker News Service, December 9, 2013
- “Proposal Would Offer Grants for States to Test Road Use-VMT Tax,” Transportation Issues Daily, December 8, 2013
- “Bold Proposal Offers Short-Term Fix to Transportation Funding,” Transportation Issues Daily, December 8, 2013
- “Gas tax proposal too steep, but the sentiment is correct: Editorial,” The Oregonian, December 8, 2013
- “Rep. Blumenauer Introduces Bills to Raise Gas Tax, Set up VMT Pilot Program,” AASHTO Journal, December 6, 2013
- “Proposal to Raise Gas Tax Has Allies Outside Congress,” Transportation Nation/WAMU, December 5, 2013
- “Two House Bills Together Are Greater Than the Sum of the Parts,” International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association Blog, December 5, 2013
- “Earl Blumenauer tries to break highway funding gridlock,” Politico, December 5, 2013
- “As trust fund bleeds red ink, Blumenauer introduces a bill to save it,” Transportation for America blog, December 4, 2013
- “Congressman Proposes 15-Cent Gas Tax Hike,” Governing, December 4, 2013
- “Dem proposes taxing drivers by the mile,” The Hill, December 4, 2013
- “Concrete Proposals for Raising Gas Tax Finally on the Table,” Streetsblog Capitol Hill, December 3, 2013
- “Bill would nearly double federal gasoline tax,” The Hill, December 2, 2013
- “Paying for the next highway bill,” FleetOwner, November 22, 2013
- "A black box in your car? Some see a source of tax revenue," The Los Angeles Times, October 26, 2013
- "A Federal Gas Tax for the Future," Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, September 2013
- "Old tax, new fees among options for highway funding," Politico, June 6, 2013
- “Tax Reform Options for Discussion,” Senate Finance Committee Staff, April 25, 2013
- “Is Increasing the Gas Tax Truly Politically Unpalatable?” Governing, April 22, 2013
- “Gas Taxes Are Still Here,” National Journal Transportation Experts Blog, April 8, 2013
- “Congress looks for road repair funds,” Politico, February 20, 2013
- "Can a miles-traveled tax finance infrastructure," Politico, February 6, 2013
Devolution
- “Financing Transportation Infrastructure the Traditional Way,” Innovation Newsbriefs, November 21, 2013
- “Topic of the week: No more federal gas tax?” Greater Greater Washington, November 18, 2013
- “Why is it so hard to just raise the federal (and state) gasoline excise tax?” Rebuilding Place in the Urban Space, November 19, 2013
- “Senate and House Bills Introduced to Transfer Federal Transportation Program to States,” Transportation Issues Daily, November 17, 2013
- “Bill would eliminate federal transportation funding,” The Hill, November 15, 2013
- “Insights into Devolving Federal Transportation,” Transportation Issues Daily, February 13, 2013
Issue Number Two:
The Legacy of MAP-21
MAP-21 included many policy reforms long sought by state transportation officials that likely will continue to bear fruit in 2014 and beyond.
“I think we are seeing evidence of (its transformative impact) already,” said AASHTO’s Hancock. “Reduction in the number of federal aid categories doesn’t seem like much, but that has served to give the states a little more flexibility in how we utilize the money in each individual state to address our unique needs. I think that’s a good thing.”
Hancock believes ultimately the legacy issue for MAP-21 will be its provisions to transition to a performance-based transportation system.
“Congress through MAP-21 looked to institutionalize some focus on managing the country’s transportation assets and through managing or measuring performance as it relates to highway safety—the number of fatalities on our system and so forth—the pavement conditions, our bridge conditions, even freight movement. And as the states work with the Federal Highway Administration to completely understand and appreciate all of these provisions in the long term and what they mean for our country, I think you’ll see over the long term, better decisions made by the states in terms of keeping the roads and bridges in good condition as a result of these performance requirements in MAP-21. I really think that will be, over the long haul, the legacy item that MAP-21 will be most remembered for.”
But 2014 might also expose more about a potential negative legacy of MAP-21. Since the bill provided only two years of funding—and followed nearly three years of status quo, short-term extensions of the previous bill, SAFETEA-LU, state transportation departments have been in a prolonged period of uncertainty that has negatively impacted long-term, capital program planning processes.
“MAP-21 was a wonderful six-year bill with only two years of funding,” said Hancock. “That constantly forces the states to roll the dice, if you will, in the hopes that everything will come together for the following year’s program. Many of the projects that we do are multi-year projects and so when you commit to design of a project, quite often you’re committing to five, six, seven years-worth of activity that leads to the ultimate construction and completion.”
Hancock believes the uncertainty has also had an impact on the nation’s construction workforce that has limited the effectiveness of MAP-21’s efforts to accelerate project delivery.
“Everyone is almost afraid to work themselves out of work,” he said. “It’s very difficult to accelerate things dramatically in that once someone is finished with a project, there may not be something waiting to take its place. I think the uncertainty in our federal program is creating some incredible problems for us. We’ve got this fiscal cliff looming for 2015 with the federal Highway Trust Fund and the inability to authorize any new projects potentially in 2015 unless Congress acts. This whole air and atmosphere of uncertainty very definitely is affecting how the states put together their programs and how those programs are executed.”
Some are also concerned that the major expansion of the TIFIA credit assistance and loan program under MAP-21 signals a shift away from the grant making role the federal government has traditionally played in transportation and that it could have an impact on the kinds of projects that get funded going forward.
CSG Resources
- “Transportation Funding & Performance in the MAP-21 Era,” Presentation by Mara Campbell of Missouri Department of Transportation at CSG National Conference in Kansas City, September 20, 2013
- “Missouri Hopes Focus on Transportation Performance Pays Off,” Capitol Ideas E-Newsletter, August 15, 2013
- “Federal Transportation Bill Reflects State Government Wish List, but Fails to Address Long-Term Future,” The Book of the States, July 2013
- “MAP-21 Implementation: States & the Future of Transportation,” Capitol Research Brief, April 2013
- “Transportation Professionals Ponder Future Transportation Financing,” Capitol Ideas E-Newsletter, January 31, 2013
- “Overheard at the Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting,” Capitol Comments Blog, January 29, 2013
Further Reading
Implementation of MAP-21
- “Overwhelming Funding Demands for New Starts Program May Delay Projects,” Transportation Issues Daily, December 11, 2013
- “Has MAP-21 Lost Direction?” World Trade WT100, November 1, 2013
- Letter to Members of Congress on Subtitle C of MAP-21 (Acceleration of Project Delivery), U.S. Department of Transportation Office of the Inspector General, May 22, 2013
- “AASHTO President Lewis Testifies On Status of MAP-21 Implementation,” AASHTO Journal, April 25, 2013
Freight & Goods Movement
- “Transportation Infrastructure: Building Hope for the Future,” Inbound Logistics, July 2013
Performance Measurement & Management
- “WSDOT report keys in on multimodal transportation: New Corridor Capacity Report published this week,” Washington State Department of Transportation, November 26, 2013
- “U.S. DOT Still Has Time to Get MAP-21 Performance Measures Right,” Streetsblog Capitol Hill, October 11, 2013
- “The metrics: reloaded: Performance-based management is paramount, says Mike McGurrin as he delves into the cloudy waters of transportation metrics,” Thinking Highways, October 2013
- “Performance-Based Planning and Programming Guidebook,” Federal Highway Administration, September 2013
Environmental Streamlining
- “e-NEPA Tool Streamlines Transportation Environmental Review Process,” Federal Highway Administration’s MAP-21 Research Quarterly Newsletter, Fall 2013
TIFIA
- “Secretary Foxx’s Testimony on Most Successful Program in MAP-21,” Transportation Issues Daily, July 24, 2013
- “New Roads Will Likely Remain the Best-Funded Tranpo Projects,” Next City, February 15, 2013
TIGER
- "Tiger V a Shot in the Arm for Livable Streets in Cities and Small Towns," Streetsblog Capitol Hill, September 5, 2013
- “How TIGER Transformed Transportation Planning—And Lived to Tell About It,” Streetsblog Capitol Hill, April 25, 2013
Issue Number Three:
Continuing State Activity on Transportation Revenues
2013 saw significant activity among states exploring ways of producing additional transportation revenues. Major investment packages were approved in Maryland, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Virginia and Wyoming. The solutions employed included everything from gas tax increases to complex tax swaps. But 2014 could see significant state activity as well. A number of the states that were unsuccessful in 2013 have unfinished business and others have been exploring options in advance of 2014 legislative sessions. Some states that had success in 2013 could seek to do more, while others may see repeal efforts and political backlash. Ultimately, a greater abundance of statewide elections in 2014 may have some say in determining how successful states are in maintaining or achieving new revenue gains.
While states considered and in some cases adopted a wide variety of revenue strategies in 2013, AASHTO’s Hancock believes states would be wise to continue to follow the traditional “user pays” model of transportation funding.
“I think that’s the most fair way—as we’ve done for a century now—to fund transportation. Through user fees and the user-based system,” he said. “There are a number of things that the states are looking at. Some states have looked at decreasing their gas tax and increasing their sales tax. I don’t know that long term that’s a sustainable source of revenue. Things that happen with General Fund issues in individual states could create pressures that actually detract from transportation over the long haul.”
Hancock said states would be wise to follow the example of his home state of Kentucky when considering revenue options.
“We actually have an indexed gas tax here in Kentucky and that indexing provision really helps us keep pace when other forms of taxation may not be (keeping pace),” he said. “Our gas tax provision and indexing provision was enacted in 1985 and really didn’t kick in until 2005 because the floor for that calculation was set so high. But once it kicked in, it’s really kept us afloat and I wonder if there’s a lesson to be learned from those kinds of things.”
As for the future beyond the gas tax, many see promise in mileage-based user fees or VMT fees, something the state of Oregon will continue to experiment with as a result of legislation passed in 2013. But Hancock thinks broad acceptance and implementation of a mileage-based funding system is still a ways off and awaits further study by states.
“As we’ve talked about a (vehicle miles traveled) tax over the last many years, I think conventional wisdom has been we’ve sort of been in a ‘tweener’ stage where we know that the old gas tax is rapidly becoming something that can’t sustain itself into the future and yet we have a lot of the privacy issues and public acceptance issues on the side of having their mileage tracked through their vehicle or through some other mechanism,” Hancock said. “And this ‘tweener’ stage is sort of a necessary period to work toward potential acceptance of something like that. So I think where Oregon and some other states are going is to make sure that these systems are adequately tested and that if there are concerns that truly need to be dealt with over the long haul that they’re given an adequate incubator, so to speak, to work through those things. I think we’ll find over time that there will be more wide-based acceptance. … I think we’ll see over time this whole attitude shift. But right now we’re kind of at that ‘tweener’ stage.”
CSG Resources
- “States to Watch in 2014: Transportation Funding,” Capitol Comments Blog, December 16, 2013
- “Transportation Bills Back From the Dead in Pennsylvania, Washington,” Capitol Comments Blog, November 22, 2013
- “2013 Election Roundup: Transportation,” Capitol Comments Blog, November 11, 2013
- “Transportation Policy Academy 2013 – DC – Part 9: Panel Discussion on Virginia and Maryland Transportation Funding Plans,” Capitol Comments Blog, November 6, 2013
- “Virginia’s Transportation Funding Plan Could Have Influence on Other States, In Washington,” Capitol Comments Blog, October 23, 2013
- “State Transportation Revenue Debates Likely to Continue into 2014,” Capitol Comments Blog, September 18, 2013
- “Changing Face of Transportation Revenues,” Capitol Research Brief, September 17, 2013
- “CSG Transportation Policy Academy (Portland, OR) Part 4: Presentation on Oregon’s Mileage-Based Road Usage Charge Program,” Capitol Comments Blog, August 2, 2013
- “Minnesota Official Discusses Efforts to Sell the Public on Transportation Investment at Midwest Meeting,” Capitol Comments Blog, July 25, 2013
- “Transportation Funding Commissions II,” Capitol Research Brief, July 9, 2013
- “Pennsylvania, Washington Transportation Bills Fail to Cross Finish Line,” Capitol Comments Blog, July 1, 2013
Further Reading
- "MoDOT: More Money Needed to Keep Up With Demands," Associated Press, January 4, 2014
- “Transportation Tax Supporters Still Aim for 2014 Vote,” St. Louis Public Radio, January 1, 2014
- “Highways Are Talking Point as Candidates Take to Road,” The Texas Tribune, December 30, 2013
- “Transportation issues facing 2014 Legislature,” WCF Courier, December 29, 2013
- “Legislature’s influence over transportation felt in 2013,” Dallas News, December 29, 2013
- “Legislators look for funding avenues as Texas grows,” Amarillo Globe-News, December 29, 2013
- “The trickle down on taxes and roads: Oil and gas tax generated in Permian Basin goes to the state,” Odessa American, December 29, 2013
- “Road funding on the line for Iowa lawmakers,” Quad-City Times, December 29, 2013
- “MnDOT plan paints grim picture of transit future,” Minneapolis Star Tribune, December 28, 2013
- “Fines, fees set to go up to offset highway funding bill costs,” The Meadville (PA) Tribune, December 27, 2013
- “State Seeks Alternatives to Fuel Tax: Chamber backs pilot program to tax vehicles for miles traveled instead,” WIBC-FM, December 26, 2013
- “Proposal would increase gas prices, sales taxes, fees to pay for roads,” The State (South Carolina), December 23, 2013
- “Keep the wheels rolling—a conversation with Iowa’s DOT director,” The Gazette, December 22, 2013
- “California Has a New Infrastructure Advocate: Former Caltrans Director Will Kempton is determined to help the Golden State generate billions of dollars for needed infrastructure improvements,” Governing, December 17, 2013
- “Q&A: Pennsylvania Transportation Secretary Barry Schoch: The state just hiked their gas tax, increasing transportation funding by billions,” Governing, December 16, 2013
- “Crumbling roads: How can California repair them?” San Jose Mercury News, December 12, 2013
- “Using Ballot Measures to Drive Economic Investment in States and Metropolitan Areas,” Brookings Institution, December 11, 2013
- “States Aren’t Waiting Around for Federal Support,” Better Roads, December 4, 2013
- “Pennsylvanians will see up front benefits from transportation funding law: (House Appropriations Committee Chair) William Adolph,” The Patriot News, December 4, 2013
- “PennDOT facing a long road despite new funding,” Associated Press, December 1, 2013
- “States gain control by saying ‘no’ to federal transportation money,” FleetOwner, November 27, 2013
- “More states raise taxes to pay for transportation,” McClatchy Washington Bureau, November 27, 2013
- “MnDOT chief: Tax or fee hike needed,” The (Mankato) Free Press, November 25, 2013
- “VA: Cline Wants to Repeal State Transportation Plan,” The News Virginian, November 21, 2013
- “Utah a model for new federal transportation lobbying,” The Salt Lake Tribune, November 19, 2013
- “Tolls Fill Gas Tax Gap,” Stateline, November 11, 2013
- “Automatic gas tax increase law sought to be repealed by Massachusetts Republicans,” The Republican, October 1, 2013
- “Batt chides Idaho for not raising gas tax: Ex-governor says roads need funding,” The Spokesman-Review, June 14, 2013
- “SSTI Survey of State and Local Transportation Revenue Services,” State Smart Transportation Initiative, January 2013
Issue Number Four:
Evolution of Public-Private Partnerships
Some states have turned to the private sector in recent years to help fund major transportation projects and 2014 is likely to see a substantial number of these projects move forward. But new public-private partnerships—also known as P3s—are taking on different shapes than earlier ones. Managed lane projects around the country, a major transit project in Maryland and a bundle of bridges in Pennsylvania are all being explored as P3s. Some states are turning to the P3 model known as availability payments, under which the public project sponsor retains the underlying revenue risk associated with the project and makes payments to a private partner for designing, building, operating and/or maintaining a transportation facility.
Hancock’s home state of Kentucky is one of the 17 states that still do not have legislation on the books allowing them to enter into transportation P3s. Kentucky is completely surrounded by states that have either broad enabling legislation or limited or project-specific legislation.
“We certainly have been evaluating … the utility of public-private partnerships in Kentucky,” he said. “I think it depends on the individual circumstances with a specific project. … Public-private partnerships are a great tool to have in the toolbox when the situation is such that an equity partner can help you bring a project home.”
CSG Resources
- “States Move Forward With Transportation Projects Involving Public-Private Partnerships & Tolling,” Capitol Comments Blog, November 13, 2013
- “Transportation Policy Academy 2013 – DC – Part 1: Transportation-Focused Tour Hosted by Maryland Department of Transportation,” November 5, 2013
- “New York Conference Highlights Evolution of Public-Private Partnerships for Infrastructure,” Capitol Comments Blog, July 10, 2013
- “While Some States Turn to Public-Private Partnerships, Tolls for Big Transportation Projects, Others Face a Backlash,” Capitol Comments Blog, May 24, 2013
- “Maryland Public-Private Partnership Law in the Spotlight,” Capitol Ideas E-Newsletter, May 23, 2013
Further Reading
General
- “Bipartisan Congressional Group Holds First Meeting on Advancing Public-Private Partnerships,” Transportation Issues Daily, December 9, 2013
- “Cash-Strapped States Turn to Public-Private Partnerships,” Stateline, November 14, 2013
- “Public-Private Partnerships Are Popular, But Are They Practical?” Governing, November 2013
Revenue Risk
- “Project Neon takes new approach,” Las Vegas Review-Journal, December 21, 2013
- “Private Toll-Road Investors Get Low-Risk Deals From States,” Bloomberg Businessweek, December 12, 2013
- "Illiana Expressway gets last needed local approval amidst confusion over investors role - now up to Feds," Tollroads News, December 12, 2013
- “What to Make of P3 Toll Road Struggles?” Reason Foundation, Surface Transportation Newsletter, December 11, 2013
- “Private Toll Road Investors Shift Revenue Risk to States,” Bloomberg, November 27, 2013
- “Drop in Traffic Means Guaranteed Profits for Private Road Investors,” Urbanophile, November 24, 2013
- “Wall Street Journal frontpager on private toller problems in US,” Toll Roads News, November 21, 2013
- "Illiana P3 meaning stretched by availability payments - P3s 101," Toll Roads News, November 19, 2013
- "How the Illiana's Shaky Financing Puts Illinois Taxpayers at Risk," Streetsblog Capitol Hill, November 14, 2013
- “Availability-Pay Concessions vs. Toll Concessions,” Reason Foundation, September 12, 2013
Pennsylvania’s Bridge Bundle
- “PennDOT doubles bridge replacement total to 500, seeks contractors,” LeHigh Valley Business, December 13, 2013
Maryland’s Transit P3
- “Six teams compete to build, operate light-rail Purple Line in public-private partnership,” The Washington Post, December 12, 2013
- “Shifting the transit-funding paradigm: Transit finance grows up,” State Smart Transportation Initiative, December 2, 2013
Managed Lanes
- “Express Lane Congestion Elicits Toll Hikes on I-95,” WLRN, Miami, December 19, 2013
- “Managed Lanes Networks Gaining Traction, as Projects Proliferate,” Reason Foundation Surface Transportation Newsletter, December 11, 2013
- “Inland Freeways: Express lanes, toll charges driving highway improvements,” The Press Enterprise (San Bernadino, CA), December 6, 2013
- “HOT Revenue Generators?” Planetizen, December 2, 2013
- “On U.S. Highways, More Fast Lanes Aren’t Free: States Are Adding Express Toll Portions to Their Roads, Irking Some Drivers,” The Wall Street Journal, November 28, 2013
Issue Number Five:
Finding Strategies for a Multi-Modal Future
With an expanded Panama Canal on the horizon in June 2015, U.S. seaports need expansion and dredging to accommodate larger container ships. Inland ports, which could see additional traffic, also need upgrades. But as with surface transportation, there is little agreement on how to pay for it all. Even if a bipartisan water projects bill pending in Congress wins early approval in 2014 as expected, there is much work to be done around the country. With demand for transportation alternatives growing in some communities and with future dedicated federal funding uncertain, states will need to continue to seek new partnerships and innovative funding and financing mechanisms to develop and maintain transit systems, bike and pedestrian facilities and other key features of vibrant communities.
CSG Resources
- “2013 Update on the Panama Canal Expansion and Ports in the Atlantic and Gulf Coast States,” Southern Legislative Conference Issue Alert, March 2013
Further Reading
General
- “Critical Issues in Transportation 2013,” Transportation Research Board
Ports & Waterways
- “Dispute Threatens Completion of Panama Canal Expansion,” The New York Times, January 2, 2014
- “For bitterly divided Congress, $12.5 billion water bill a rare, unifying piece of legislation,” Associated Press, December 27, 2013
- “River states explore shifting more oversized and overweight shipments via water,” State Smart Transportation Initiative, December 16, 2013
- “AAPA and US Department of Transportation join forces to spur port investment: Development of port investment plan toolkit will help US ports attract public and private capital,” Port Technology International, December 16, 2013
- “Fracking industry wants to move its waste down Ohio River on barges, but faces opposition,” The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer, December 3, 2013
- “Panama Canal Expansion Study: Phase 1 Report: Developments in Trade and National and Global Economies,” U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration, November 2013
- “Biden says Panama Canal expansion will bring more jobs to U.S. ports,” The Miami Herald, November 20, 2013
- “SC ports chief says 2018 to be big year,” Associated Press, November 19, 2013
- “House Passes Water Infrastructure Bill: The legislation, which will cut red tape and ensure port projects are completed quickly, was passed almost unanimously,” Governing, October 24, 2013
- “Rick Scott and Cabinet Double Down on Ports Investments,” Sunshine State News, September 25, 2013
- “Ports around the South prep for canal growth,” Associated Press, August 11, 2013
- “Port of Baltimore Seeks Boost From Panama Canal Expansion,” National Public Radio, May 6, 2013
- “Panama Canal expansion spurs railroads, ports to prepare for new business,” Progressive Railroading, April 2013
- "Ports Matter Too," National Journal Transportation Experts Blog, January 28, 2013
- "Expanded Panama Canal sparks race to be ready for bigger cargo ships," The Washington Post, January 16, 2013
- "Rick Scott: Florida Can't Wait for Feds to Improve Ports," Sunshine State News, January 15, 2013
Freight
- “State’s $35.8 Million Investment to Expand, Improve Rail and Aviation Operations,” Gant Daily, December 13, 2013
- “USDOT Tentatively Designates Freight Highways, Could Impact Funding,” Transportation Issues Daily, November 23, 2013
- “FedEx Freight Chief Says Transportation System Is Headed for Gridlock,” Forbes, November 18, 2013
- “TIGER’s Love Affair With Freight—And Bikes,” Streetsblog Capitol Hill, April 26, 2013
Transit
- "Reason Foundation: roads are a better investment to reduce congestion," Rebuilding Place in the Urban Space, January 2, 2014
- “Tram wars! Why streetcars are back—whether you like it or not,” Salon, December 28, 2013
- “Report underlines Milwaukee area’s jobs issue: Transportation—Lack of bus routes to work in suburbs remains a problem, study says,” Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, December 28, 2013
- “American cities work to make transit attractive,” Cecil Daily, December 27, 2013
- “Legislature should bring back regional transit authorities,” (editorial), Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, December 26, 2013
- “MO: Missouri Supreme Court All But Ends Battle Over KC Streetcar Funding,” The Kansas City Star, December 26, 2013
- “Ticket to Ride: Albany Keen on Public Transit,” WAMC Northeast Public Radio, December 26, 2013.
- “L.A. County transit officials plan to put sales tax measure on ballot,” Los Angeles Times, December 24, 2013
- “Cincinnati’s Streetcar Plays Out Nation’s Transportation Shift,” (opinion) Article 3, December 24, 2013
- “Cincinnati Streetcar Plan Pits Desire for Growth Against Fiscal Restraint,” The New York Times, December 22, 2013
- “Officials: Expansion of Houston’s light rail system to offer more transportation choices,” Associated Press, December 21, 2013
- “Study says (Albuquerque’s) mass transit use has exploded,” Albuquerque Business First, December 20, 2013
- “Cincinnati Opts to Move Forward with Streetcar After All,” Governing, December 20, 2013
- “A Triumph for Transit in Cincinnati Could Mark Major Policy Shift,” Wired, December 20, 2013
- "Cincinnati Will Complete Its Streetcar," Streetsblog Capitol Hill, December 19, 2013
- “Transit CEOs to focus on transportation bill reauthorization, capital projects in 2014,” Progressive Railroading, December 2013
- “Will Old Transit Systems Eat Up All the New Starts Grants?” Streetsblog Capitol Hill, December 17, 2013
- “Making Private Donors Pay for Cincy Streetcar: A Classic Double-Standard,” Streetsblog, December 16, 2013
- “Public Transit is Underfunded Because the Wealthy Don’t Rely on It,” Wired, December 16, 2013
- “Wider isn’t only solution for better freeways, officials stress,” The Houston Chronicle, December 15, 2013
- “Transit Experts Talk New Starts Program at House T&I Hearing,” AASHTO Journal Weekly Transportation Report, December 13, 2013
- “Cincinnati Mayor Offers Last-Minute Plan to Save the Streetcar,” Streetsblog Capitol Hill, December 12, 2013
- “Salt Lake City wants a transit system that works for everyone,” The Salt Lake Tribune, December 11, 2013
- “San Antonio Can’t Decide If It’s Building Streetcars or Light Rail,” The Atlantic Cities Blog, December 6, 2013
- “We’re Driving Less, Taking Transit More, Now Let’s Invest Accordingly,” Natural Resources Defense Council Staff Blog, December 5, 2013
- “Council stops spending on Cincinnati streetcar,” Associated Press, December 5, 2013
- “St. Louis is not alone in resurgence of streetcars,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 4, 2013
- “Why mass transit is doomed in America: Politicians don’t know people who use it,” Salon, December 2, 2013
- “Q&A With Robert Grow: How Utah Decided to Embrace ‘Quality Growth,’” Streetsblog Capitol Hill, December 2, 2013
- “New downtown streetcar carries hopes for development,” The Kansas City Star, November 29, 2013
- “In Austin, Toll Lanes May Give Bus Service a Boost,” The Texas Tribune, November 29, 2013
- “Task force: billions needed to fix transit in S.F.,” San Francisco Chronicle, November 25, 2013
- “It Could Cost More to Shut Down Cincy Streetcar Than Finish It,” Streetsblog Capitol Hill, November 21, 2013
- “More than a year from operation, Kansas City’s Streetcar is already driving investment downtown,” Smart Growth America, November 14, 2013
- “Cities Turn to Streetcars to Spur Economic Development,” Stateline, November 8, 2013
- “Local Funding Options for Public Transportation,” Victoria Transport Policy Institute, November 5, 2013
- “Lawmakers hopeful for bipartisan deal to expand mass transit in Indiana,” Indianapolis Star, November 1, 2013
- "Millennial Generation Desires Multi-Modal Transportation Sytem," American Public Transportation System, October 1, 2013
- “Salt Lake City: How a Remote Red-State City Became a Transit Leader,” Streetsblog Capitol Hill, June 5, 2013
- “The Case for Caution When It Comes to Building Streetcars,” The Atlantic Cities Blog, May 24, 2013
- "Are streetcars the future of public transportation?" Salon, May 16, 2013
- “US transport policy not about mobility and that’s bipartisan—Foxx, Shuster agree,” Toll Roads News, April 30, 2013
- “Congress Indulges in Crazy Talk About De-Funding Transit and Taxing Bikes,” Streetsblog Capitol Hill, April 26, 2013
- "Lawmakers Fret About Impact of Budget Cuts on Transit," Streetsblog Capitol Hill, March 14, 2013
- "A Renewed Look at Federal Funding for Transit Operations," The Transport Politic, March 12, 2013
- "4 Ways the Feds Are Making Transit Better," The Atlantic Cities Blog, January 16, 2013
- "Transit Space Race 2013," Reconnecting America, January 2013
- “Sustaining the Metropolis: LRT (Light Rail Transit) and Streetcars for Super Cities,” Transportation Research Board, November 2012
Active Transportation
- “Bicycle tax? It’s tempting for some cities,” San Jose Mercury News, December 27, 2013
- “Governor Cuomo, Don’t Be a Grinch: Please Dedicate Money to Pedestrian and Bicycle Infrastructure,” Mobilizing the Region (blog of the Tri-State Transportation Campaign), December 20, 2013
- “Pennsylvania Transportation Bill a ‘Dramatic Win’ for Biking and Walking,” Streetsblog, November 26, 2013
- “Houston embraces multi-modal transportation solution: America’s 4th largest city invests in its bicyclists and pedestrians,” Fast Lane: The Official Blog of the U.S. Department of Transportation, November 25, 2013
- “At MAP-21’s Halfway Mark, Leaders Gather to Start the ‘Walking Revolution,’” Streetsblog Capitol Hill, October 3, 2013
- “Massachusetts to include multimodal transportation options in future projects,” Better Roads, September 20, 2013
High-Speed Rail
- "California bullet train in limbo after legal setbacks," Associated Press, January 2, 2014
- “Push is on for high-speed passenger trains,” Finance & Commerce, January 2, 2014
- “What’s coming up regarding California HSR Project in early 2014,” Examiner, December 22, 2013
- “How to make high-speed rail work in California,” Los Angeles Times, December 16, 2013
- “It’s Time for California to Fund High-Speed Rail Itself,” The Atlantic Cities Blog, December 11, 2013
- “California High Speed Rail: Media Piling-on Continues, as Does the Project,” Streetsblog Los Angeles, December 9, 2013
- “A Major Setback for California’s High-Speed Train,” Innovation NewsBriefs, November 26, 2013
Aviation
- “Why We Don’t Have the Aviation Infrastructure We Need…and What to Do About It,” Council on Foreign Relations, December 9, 2013