Federal Transportation Funding

House Transportation Committee to Explore Sustainable Funding Options

Federal transportation leaders recognize that sustainable transportation funding options are needed to meet America's infrastructure needs. At AASHTO's Annual Washington Briefing, different funding strategies were proposed by key Congress members.

March 1, 2016 - AASHTO Journal

Federal Funding Authorized for States to Test Gas Tax Alternatives

The five-year transportation reauthorization known as the FAST Act relies on $70 billion of one-time, non-user fees to fund the $302 billion bill. The act also allows the government to fund the development of sustainable funding options by states.

January 10, 2016 - The Hill

Ambitious Subway Agenda Endorsed by Transportation Secretary Foxx

When San Francisco Supervisor Scott Wiener proclaimed last month that his city "should always have a subway under construction," there were many doubters due to the funds required and unlikelihood of federal support. "Aggressive" is good, says Foxx.

October 8, 2015 - San Francisco Examiner

Millennial Bike

Millennials Lead in Alternate Mobility

It's no secret that Millennials will use alternate modes when they're available and accessible. It's also no secret that adapting streets to those modes—and using them—can be a bargain.

July 6, 2015 - Governing

Governing Profiles Charles Marohn's Message on Transportation Funding

An article for Governing profiles the method and message of Charles Marohn, known to Planetizen readers as the name behind the Strong Towns blog.

June 15, 2015 - Governing

Pothole Car

Mayoral Op-Ed: U.S. Needs to Play Catch-Up on Transportation

Mayors Bill de Blasio of New York and Mick Cornett of Oklahoma City say federal dollars are the only way to restore crumbling infrastructure. China and Europe are investing heavily, while U.S. rates are at a 20-year low.

May 18, 2015 - New York Times

Highway Construction

Denver's I-70 Expansion Undercuts Alternatives

To fund a wider I-70 on its route through Denver, the regional planning commission set aside $50 million in federal funds before considering other projects.

May 14, 2015 - Streetsblog Denver

Northbound Amtrak

Why Is American Passenger Rail So Far Behind?

In a segment for WNYC, journalist Simon van Zuylen-Wood discusses Amtrak's current status as a "national embarrassment." Decades of lackluster investment, he argues, make it difficult to prove demand in the first place.

May 5, 2015 - WNYC

Freeway Construction

U.S. DOT Will Allow and Encourage Local Hiring

The U.S. Department of Transportation has changed its rules in favor of local hiring: a pilot program will even encourage it. Minorities traditionally barred from high-paying construction work stand to benefit.

April 24, 2015 - Next City

Texas State Capitol building

Texas Legislation Would End Federal Funding for Transit

SB 1048, proposed by Senator Bob Hall (R-Rockwall), levels an unprecedented attack on transit in Texas. Although it's probably an extreme example of dead-on-arrival legislating, it's notable that an elected official would consider such a proposal.

March 11, 2015 - Examiner.com

Report: 10.8 Billion Americans Rode Transit in 2014

The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) has released its annual report on public transit ridership. Although more Americans are taking public transit, the trend doesn't hold in every city.

March 9, 2015 - The Hill

GOP Lawmakers Target the Federal Transit Subsidy for Cuts

A transit subsidy established in 1983 during the Reagan Administration is under attack by GOP lawmakers in Washington D.C.

February 15, 2015 - The Hill

Freeway Construction

Needed: A Fresh Approach to Funding U.S. Infrastructure

Kenneth Orski, editor and publisher of Innovation NewsBriefs, examines how state governments are beginning to accept more responsibility for transportation funding.

February 11, 2015 - C. Kenneth Orski

Federal Spending Bill Passes—TIGER Trimmed But Still Alive

With most of its funding intact for 2014, and a proposed ban on funding for active transportation projects off the table, fans of TIGER grants can take a deep breath.

December 16, 2014 - Streetsblog USA

Bay Bridge Toll

Op-Ed: User Fees, Not General Funds, Should Fund Transportation

The Washington Post editorializes against the use of general funds to fill the Highway Trust Fund shortfall ($18 billion annually), whether they be dedicated funds or offsets, and evaluates proposals from President Barack Obama and House Republicans.

June 6, 2014 - The Washington Post - Opinions

Op-Ed: Time to End Reliance on Highway User Fees

It's time to fund federal transportation like most other nations do—rely less on highway user fees that dedicate funds to highways and transition to funding roads from the general fund, perhaps in the same amount that they contribute to GDP.

June 3, 2014 - The New York Times - Opinion

States Troubled by Federal Transportation Funding Uncertainty

Georgia Department of Transportation Commissioner Keith Golden recently told a gathering about the state’s reliance on federal money for transportation, saying, “We’ve got to find a way to break away from our dependence on federal dollars.”

March 18, 2014 - Marietta Daily Journal

Buffalo Light Rail

TIGER Wins and High-Speed Rail Loses in New Federal Spending Bill

For the first time since 2011, Congressional negotiators have agreed on a $1.012 trillion omnibus budget bill to fund the federal government. Tanya Snyder examines the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development winners and losers.

January 15, 2014 - DC.Streetsblog

Key Players Frame Debate Over Next Federal Transportation Bill

The transportation bill known as MAP-21 expires in a little more than a year, but the key interest groups and political players are already staking out their positions. The posturing is compounded by the worsening state of the Highway Trust Fund.

September 20, 2013 - Politico Pro

Foxx's First Goal: Find the Money!

Keith Laing, with help from Josh Schank of the Eno Center for Transportation, describes the reality facing the new Secretary of the Department of Transportation. With gas tax revenue dwindling and MAP-21 expiring next year, securing funds is crucial.

July 15, 2013 - The Hill

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