The Bush Administration’s proposal for renewing the nation’s surface transportation law was unveiled May 14^th by Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta. The Safe and Flexible Transportation Efficiency Act of 2003, or “SAFETEA,” received mixed reviews among many transportation interests, including STPP and its coalition partners.

SAFETEA calls for reforms and changes to the current ISTEA/TEA-21 framework, and proposes a total spending level of $247 billion for highway and transit programs.

In a statement on the proposal for renewing TEA-21, STPP President Anne Canby praised the Administration for preserving the “general framework” of the current transportation law but was concerned that the SAFETA plan takes “some wrong turns,” a message that was echoed by many STPP partners.

STPP President Anne Canby called attention to a number of proposals, citing those that specifically that weaken protections for clean air, historic preservation, parks and wildlife habitat and funding commitments to public transit.

In her statement, Canby stated, “the bill lacks necessary funding for urgently needed clean air measures the public wants, and it reduces the frequency with which transportation decision-makers are held accountable for healthier air.”   She also cited the weakening of Section 4(f) protections (enacted in 1966 to provide substantive federal protections for historic, cultural and natural assets) and funding commitments to public transit as other examples of wrong turns.

A number of transportation providers took aim at the Administration’s proposed funding levels, which are substantially below what House and Senate authorizers are seeking in legislation renewing the 1998 TEA-21 law, which is set to expire September 30^th.

In a statement on SAFETEA, House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Don Young stated, “There simply isn’t enough funding in the Administration’s bill to address our efforts to address our nation’s growing congestion problems.” Chairman Young also pointed out that if the plan is adjusted to constant 2003 dollars, the SAFETEA proposal provides “less funding than TEA-21 did.”

The proposal spans more than 400 pages of legislative changes and charts some new directions on cost accountability, performance standards, intermodal freight, system operations and research, areas where Canby and others are praising the Administration’s efforts.

Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta made the case for the Administration’s transportation spending plan May 15th before a House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee, discussing details of the package with panel members, many of whom had served with him on the Committee.

Mineta specifically emphasized the safety aspects of the renewal plan, stating, “the President and I have made saving lives an essential priority for the Department and for the reauthorization of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century.”  He explained that for every 1 percent increase in seatbelt use, “we would save 250 lives.”

Questioning by Committee members focused largely on the need for additional resources or individual member comments about district project needs and concerns. Key Committee leaders openly speculated that unless additional resources are found, a multi-year renewal of TEA-21 was unlikely this year, with a short one- or two-year extension bill being more likely.

Following a review of the Administration’s initiatives on safety, featuring the establishment of a new “Highway Safety Improvement Program” that absorbs the current STP Safety Set-aside program, most of Mineta’s statement and remarks focused on proposals to expand state and local flexibility and improve project delivery.

To view Secretary Mineta’s full May 15th statement to the House Subcommittee on Highways, Transit and Pipelines, which provides an excellent overview of the Administration’s plan, visit www.house.gov/transportation/. 

Secretary Mineta is scheduled to appear before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee this week to discuss the details of the Administration’s SAFETEA plan.

The fourteen states that make up the States’ Highway Alliance for Real Equity (SHARE) are pushing for an adjustment of the way in which the federal government divides up Highway Trust Fund revenues. The current structure guarantees all states a 90.5% annual return on the highway money they receive as a share of their contribution to the trust fund.  Congressional supporters of the SHARE plan, which was developed by this group of “donor states,” are expected to introduce legislation in the House and the Senate on May 21 that increases the level of return to 95%.