SAFETEALU Reauthorization Process and USDOTs Reform Proposal

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SAFETEA-LU Reauthorization Process and USDOTs
Reform Proposal
Todd KohrOffice of the Assistant Secretary for
Transportation PolicyU.S. Department of
Transportation
November 2008
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Presentation outline

• Major transportation policy challenges
• Window of legislative opportunity
• Many voices in the debate
• USDOTs reform proposal
• The path ahead

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Major transportation policy challenges

• Loss of a sense of direction
• Decline in system performance
• Poor investment decisions
• Weaknesses of the fuel tax
• Looming funding shortfalls

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Window of legislative opportunity

• SAFETEA-LU expires on 9/30/09
• Highway Trust Fund on course for deficits in FY10
  and beyond
• Growing consensus on need for a new approach

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Many voices in the debate

• U.S. Department of Transportation
• Two Congressionally-created commissions
• State Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO)
• Other associations and interest groups
• Congress
• Incoming Administration

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USDOTs surface transportation reform proposal

• Policy document (rather than bill text)
• Makes the case for reform
• Largely defers on revenues and funding levels
• Provides strategy for Federal programs and
  investment
• Six central themes

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1. Clarify and focus the Federal role

• Consolidate programs to focus formula in areas
  of greatest Federal interest
• Offer grants for projects of national
  significance, corridors, and innovative metro
  congestion plans
• Empower States and localities to use (and raise)
  resources to fund their other transportation
  priorities

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2. Use data and technology to drive safety
projects

• Emphasize risk-based, data-driven safety
  approaches
• Build on the success of strategic highway safety
  plans
• Administer safety grants in a more integrated
  fashion
• Encourage the use of crash avoidance technologies

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3. Increase State and municipal flexibility

• Consolidate dozens of highway / transit programs
  into three new multi-modal programs
• Empower metro boards to fund transportation
  projects regardless of mode
• Allow broad project eligibility within funding
  programs

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4. Strengthen basis for investment decisions

• Require States and metro areas to set performance
  goals and track progress
• Require benefit-cost public-private partnership
  analyses
• Base discretionary funding awards on merit and
  clear transportation criteria

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5. Encourage pricing and leveraging of Federal

• Allow tolling of Federal-aid facilities(while
  limiting uses of toll revenues)
• Encourage States to pursue PPPs where
  appropriate(while safeguarding public interest)
• Increase the flexibility of innovative financial
  tools(Federal loans, credit assistance, private
  activity bonds)
• Expand authority for States to use infrastructure
  banks

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6. Improve and streamline environmental review

• Include environmental goals within performance
  mgmt.
• Reform environmental review process to reduce
  delays (while protecting the environment)
• Offer a mitigated alternative to NEPA
• Experiment with shifting focus from process to
  outcomes

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Miles to go before we sleep
Reform proposal
Obama Administration
National Commissions
AASHTO
Alphabet soup
Members of Congress
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For more information

• http//www.fightgridlocknow.gov/reform/
• todd.kohr_at_dot.gov

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Central themes of reform proposal

• Clarify and focus the Federal role
• Use data and technology to drive safety projects
• Increase State and municipal flexibility
• Strengthen basis for investment decisions
• Encourage pricing and leveraging of Federal
• Improve and streamline environmental review