First week of 2011 brings transportation highs and lows

by Jessica Duboff

30/10 Takes Major Step Forward!

Success today for the 30/10 transportation initiative.   The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has approved the Westside Subway Extension and the Regional Connector for entry into the preliminary engineering process. The approval moves both of these key Metro projects closer to actual construction.

This notification means that both projects are expected be part of the New Starts program, which is the federal government’s primary financing vehicle for locally-planning mass transit investments.  We hope to see the first installment of federal funds included in next year's federal budget.  If all goes as expected, the preliminary engineering process for the Subway Extension should be completed in late 2011 with the Connector’s work completed in early 2012.  Then, the first stages of construction on both projects would begin in mid-to-late 2012.

We are continuing to work closely with Art Leahy at Metro, the Obama Administration and the new 112^th Congress to keep the progress moving forward.

House Adopts Rules that Threaten Transportation Funding

Speaking of the new Congress, today the House  approved a rule change that would eliminate guaranteed funding for highways and transit and create opportunities to use user fee resources for non-transportation purposes. Despite opposition from incoming Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Chairman John Mica, legislators rejected a compromise amendment and voted 240-191 to approve the new rules for the 112th Congress.

In the 111th Congress, House Rule XXI, clause 3, ensured that all of the revenues that taxpayers paid into the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) were used for highway and transit improvements on an annual basis, which created stability in funding for much-needed infrastructure investments. The new rule eliminates protections to the HTF and allows Congress to fund programs at levels lower than those set forth in authorization bills in order to offset spending in other parts of the federal budget.

The LA Chamber sent a letter to House leadership and the LA delegation at the beginning of the week, opposing the rule change and urging the 112^th Congress to instead focus on enactment of a robust, multi-year reauthorization of the federal surface transportation program that creates jobs and boosts the economy.