Perfect Storm
Posted by Fred Jandt
Mass Transit editor
Remember this time last year? I do. This time last year we were talking about auto industry bail outs and what the new administration would be bringing to transit with hopeful baited breath. This year it’s us waiting with baited breath to see where the FRA is going to spend its $8 billion while we shake our heads as Congress plays Scrooge with a new transportation funding bill.
Don’t get me wrong, I understand there are a lot of issues going on, but SAFETEA-LU expired at the end of September. Since then federal transportation funding has dropped by $1 billion … a month.
A month.
Let that sink in a minute. That is $3 billion dollars already. In the larger scheme of things is that a lot? Yes. That is nearly half of the FRA funding dollars people are falling all over themselves about. Give it until the end of January and it will be half. By the time that APTA Bus & Paratransit Conference rolls around it will nearly be the whole amount.
Meanwhile people are still out of work. You can argue the efficacy of the term “shovel ready†all you want, but an extra $3 billion funding for transportation funding will put some people back to work and keep others in their current positions.
So if the president, the House and the Senate all agree that increased funding for transportation is not just desired, but required, then what is holding it up from happening?
As always it comes down to who gets stuck with the bill. Well, that’s not entirely true. We know who is going to be stuck with the bill, you and me. What is holding it up is the federal government’s version of Cerberus guarding funding deciding what is the most palatable way for it to take money out of our pockets.
 Are we going to have an increased gas tax? A new vehicle-miles-traveled fee? Tolling? Public-private partnerships? How about selling naming rights to our highways?
Just take I-Verizon to Highway Microsoft and turn left on Aetna Boulevard.
The federal government is fiddling while the United States transportation network is burning. Transit agencies are cutting service and raising fares despite surges in ridership. Our infrastructure is in such a dilapidated state it’s laughable. And at a time when we desperately need to get people back to work, we’re worrying about which way to pay a bill rather than just doing it.
Figure it out already. Public transportation won’t get any better while the federal government dithers while the perfect storm of unemployment, infrastructure collapse and lack of funding tears through our country.
Thanks for reading the MT Position updated every Friday,
Fred
fred.jandt@cygnusb2b.com
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December 11th, 2009 at 8:41 pm
For those who could hardly wait for the Obama administration, is this the “CHANGE” they were looking for?
I’m afraid Mr. Obama already has his eyes on the transportation funding for other “WORTHWHILE” social programs.
Roberto
December 13th, 2009 at 5:41 pm
Disappointing, but not necessarily a surprise. Just think what might have been able to happen if a gigantic, flawed, unpopular health care reform effort had not had priority over othe more truly pressing matters,including transportation.
Ricardo