Blumenauer Offers Glimpse Into Federal Transportation Funding

Rep. Earl Blumenauer of Oregon has championed smart transportation solutions as a member of the House Transporatation Commitee. In this interview, he explains the challenges to getting funds for many common-sense solutions.

1 minute read

November 22, 2005, 12:00 PM PST

By Josh Stephens @jrstephens310


"The unfortunate fact is that, despite the support of a broad coalition, the T3 process was troublesome; congressional dynamics simply didn’t work very well. Even after 12 temporary extensions, there are clearly some elements of the bill that don’t look very good, such as the infamous “Bridge to Nowhere” in Alaska. T3 simply didn’t provide enough money for our nation’s transportation needs â€" although it did include a great number of earmarks that run the gamut from some pretty grim projects to some that are innovative. Now is the time to review the process and the substance of this bill; we only have about a year to assess its impact before we mobilize our forces for the next one."

Thanks to Josh Stephens

Sunday, November 20, 2005 in The Metro Investment Report

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