Responsible funding for transportation may no longer be the conventional "pay-as-you-go" user fee system whereby drivers pay for projects through gas taxes. House Transportation Chair Mica wants to fund the bill responsibly, but rules out new taxes.
Reporting on the slow-goings of the transportation conference committee composed of 47 House and Senate members working to reauthorize the nation's surface transportation funding and authorization program that expired September 30, 2009, Keith Laing captured House Transportation Committee Chair John Mica's position on responsibility in transportation funding and spending.
"We can't just continue to do throw money at problems," Mica said. "We tried that on the stimulus bill."
Mica said Republicans on the conference committee were willing to work with Democrats on finding common ground on transportation funding, but he added "we're going to have to pay for this and pay for this responsibly."
"We're not going to raise taxes," Mica said. "Anyone who wants to raise taxes, you're on the wrong committee."
The House is at a disadvantage in the conference committee because they have not passed a reauthorization bill, only a three month extension set to begin on July 1 (not to be confused with the current, three-month extension that began April 1. While the Senate has passed a $109 billion, two-year reauthorization bill (MAP-21 or S.1813) , it is not entirely funded by the Highway Trust Fund's user fees. As gas and diesel taxes have not been raised since 1993, the Senate bill includes $10 billion from other sources that critics view as a "gimmick" funding maneuver.
Thanks to The Hill's E-news
FULL STORY: Highway conference gets off to slow start

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

Adaptive Reuse Will Create Housing in a Suburban Texas Strip Mall
A developer is reimagining a strip mall property as a mixed-use complex with housing and retail.

Study: Anti-Homelessness Laws Don’t Work
Research shows that punitive measures that criminalized unhoused people don’t help reduce homelessness.

In U.S., Urban Gondolas Face Uphill Battle
Cities in Latin America and Europe have embraced aerial transitways — AKA gondolas — as sustainable, convenient urban transport, especially in tricky geographies. American cities have yet to catch up.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont