Transporation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users
TRANSPORTATION EQUITY ACT: A LEGACY FOR USERS -- (House of Representatives - March 09, 2005)
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Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member for the time. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3, the Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users.
TEA-LU extends Federal highway and transit programs guaranteeing nearly $284 billion over the next 6 years. This funding will provide for Federal highway aid, mass transit, and road safety programs.
I am concerned, Mr. Speaker, that the Committee on Rules did not make a single Democratic amendment in order last night. I know that the committee will be meeting again on this issue, and I hope that we can have a more open and bipartisan process.
Mr. Speaker, we need to reauthorize this funding for the sake of our crumbling infrastructure. Our transportation network requires technological improvements. Our road and bridges are in dire need of upgrades and maintenance. Our drivers and passengers deserve the best safety programs.
The number of deficient highways and bridges in our country is staggering. Nearly 30 percent of highways are structurally deficient or functionally obsolete; 600,000 bridges are considered deficient by the Federal Highway Administration standards. In my home State of Massachusetts more than half of the bridges rank below standards.
Mr. Speaker, reauthorization of TEA-21 will provide repair and maintenance that our highways and bridges so desperately need. Our highways and bridges are severely damaged each year by increased truck sizes and weights, and I plan to introduce the Safe Highways and Infrastructure Preservation Act, better known as SHIPA.
My bill would make our highways safer and prolong the life of our roads and bridges by extending the commonsense limits we already have on the interstate highways to the entire national highway system.
I am concerned about an amendment made in order by the Committee on Rules last night that grants exemptions for the size and limits of longer combination vehicles, LCVs. The amendment would grant an exemption from the LCV freeze for trucks hauling custom harvesters in Nebraska during the harvest season for wheat and soybeans. I can appreciate the needs and concerns of these farmers; but, Mr. Speaker, this amendment sets a dangerous precedent, and I encourage my colleagues to vote against it.
The underlying bill also addresses the growing problem of traffic by proposing funding for alternative modes of transportation. It authorizes $52.3 billion for mass transit and public transportation programs. By strengthening public transportation, we are able to extend services to those who need it most like the elderly and the disabled.
Allocating funding for public transportation programs is just the first step. We need to find ways to encourage people to use public transportation and mass transit. Congress needs to expand our public transportation network through increased ridership initiatives. The commuter benefit tax credit is one such initiative.
Currently, employers can offer $200 per month in pretax benefits for parking, but only $105 per month for transit or van pool benefits. This inequity has created a financial incentive for employees to drive alone to work rather than utilize public transit for van pools. As a consequence, we have seen a decrease in ridership and corresponding increase in commuter rail and transit cars.
Today I have sent to all my colleagues in the House a Dear Colleague letter that illustrates the need to equalize the commuter tax benefit with the parking benefit. This letter summarizes the costly commuter rail fares of our Nation's major transit systems, and I encourage all of my colleagues review this information, and emphasize the importance of the commuter tax benefit during debate this week.
Along with creating incentives for people to use public transportation, we need to address the issue of traffic. I want to express my appreciation to the work of the chairman and the ranking member of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure for including in this bill several initiatives to reduce congestion. For example, H.R. 3 requires States to obligate a portion of their annual highway formula funding to activities aimed at alleviating congestion. These initiatives will result in a reduction of automobile emissions and a corresponding increase in the efficiency of our highway system.
A significant amount of funding in H.R. 3 is dedicated to supporting transportation safety programs. Over $6 billion is authorized for programs carried out by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. This funding would provide for occupant protection grants, seatbelt incentive programs, motorcycle safety, driver fatigue, child booster seat initiatives, and alcohol impairment programs.
Another major problem that this bill targets is the transportation planning process. H.R. 3 consolidates the planning process for highways and public transportation projects for metropolitan areas and States. It designates the lead agency, the Transportation Department, to conduct reviews, set deadlines for public comment on projects, and resolve disputes among agencies.
The reauthorization of transportation funding needs to happen, Mr. Speaker. Reauthorization is not only necessary for our infrastructure, but also essential to our economic growth, international competitiveness, quality of life, and national security. Our transportation infrastructure is aging and the only way to keep up with the growing demand is to reauthorize our transportation systems and to make sure this bill gets completed and to the desk of the President in this Congress.
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