New House Members Get Transportation Insolvency 101 Lesson

With the impending bankruptcy of the Highway Trust Fund in October, 2014, a House Transportation & Infrastructure subcommittee invited two transportation experts - one from CBO the other from DOT, to lay out the stark facts - but did it do any good?

2 minute read

July 28, 2013, 1:00 PM PDT

By Irvin Dawid


Oliver Patton reports on a hearing of the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit held on July 23 on the dire status and outlook of the Highway Trust Fund, and what to do about it. The guest speakers were:

Patton writes, "The situation is well understood by senior members of the committee but newer members need some catching-up", which became apparent by some statements made after the presentation.

Cawley told (PDF) the committee that Congress has three choices to preserve the fund in fiscal year 2015 [that begins on Oct. 1, 2014].

    • Eliminate all highway and mass transit spending in 2015
    • Raise the tax on motor fuels by about 10 cents per gallon
    • Transfer about $15 billion from the General Fund to the Highway Trust Fund (HTF).

Rep. Richard Hanna, R-Utica, N.Y. made "the case for using the General Fund rather than the HTF to pay for infrastructure" on account of the fact that "funding highways with user taxes is becoming archaic because more people live in cities and use mass transit". Trottenberg replied, "In some ways, we're already there". Patton explains: "Since 2008 Congress has taken $41 billion out of general revenues for the highway fund, and an additional transfer of $12.6 billion is scheduled for next year."

David Tanner of Land Line writes that the prognosis for implementing a Vehicle-Miles-Traveled (VMT) Fee prognosis is not good. "I think in Washington there doesn’t appear to be any appetite for it whatsoever,” said Trottenberg. "Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Ill., and Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, D-Ariz., both asked about VMT. During an exchange with Davis, Trottenberg said there was currently 'no movement' in Washington to pursue a national VMT tax."

In response to queries about the new Oregon law"Trottenberg said Oregon’s VMT program will not likely find its way to a national stage."

Tuesday, July 23, 2013 in Truckinginfo.com

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

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

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight