[Texgreen] Transportation funding crisis, TxDOT woes

[Roger Baker]

The story below doesn't pull any punches in describing how serious =20
the national transportation funding problem  is, but it also makes =20
clear that Texas will be hard hit. (The author Pat Driscoll, who =20
writes for the San Antonio News Express, is quite possibly the best =20
transportation reporter in Texas).

"... Congress has cut promised funds to states five times since last =20
year and may do so again in next year's budget. Texas lost $666 =20
million so far and could soon be out another $259 million. "To be =20
clear, this is $666 million that (Texas) and local communities will =20
no longer be able to count on," said Fred Underwood, who serves on =20
the Texas Transportation Commission..."

Here's another:  http://origin.elpasotimes.com/election/ci_6531125

TxDOT is in serious trouble compared to other states because, in =20
large part due to the exceptional power of the Tx road lobby, they =20
have done everything possible to borrow to keep building roads as =20
fast as ever, using their state revenue stream as collateral, and by =20
trying to privatize everything, and while trying to ignore ever-=20
rising maintenance costs. TxDOT's bond debt ability, the Texas =20
Mobility Fund, and federal funding are all maxed out or in bad shape. =20=

Meanwhile, TxDOT is encouraging the issuing of even more debt on the =20
local level by RMAs and pass-through revenue financing by Hays and =20
Williamson Counties (like virtual tolls with the locals taking the =20
bond default risk).

The assumption is that toll roads and bond credit are a magic way to =20
eliminate road funding shortfalls. All TxDOT's road plans are based =20
on cheap oil and lenders foolish enough to think that suburban sprawl =20=

and current driving trends can possibly continue independent of =20
economic fundamentals for decades to come.

-- Roger

                **********************************************

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/metro/stories/MYSA080907.05B.Mica.=20
2f71b97.html

Trouble down the road for highway funding

Web Posted: 08/08/2007 10:49 PM CDT

Patrick Driscoll
Express-News

IRVING =97 Ninety years ago, the federal transportation vision was to =20=

get farmers out of the mud.

Fifty years ago, it was to build coast-to-coast highways without =20
stoplights.

Today, it's a patchwork of confusion mired in desperate debate.

As policymakers argue whether to build toll roads and rent them to =20
corporations, or raise gas taxes, or use high-tech gadgetry to track =20
and charge motorists for every mile they drive, the federal highway =20
fund is draining fast.

By 2009, the fund will be in the hole by almost $4 billion, according =20=

to the latest estimates.

"We're headed for a meltdown," said U.S. Rep. John Mica of Florida, =20
the ranking Republican on the House Transportation and Infrastructure =20=

Committee. "It's going to be much more than a bridge that collapses."

But that just may be what it takes to spur lawmakers into action, =20
said Mica, the keynote speaker at Wednesday's luncheon of the four-=20
day annual Transportation Summit.

"Sometimes, it takes a crisis to get Congress to do something," he =20
told an audience of about 600. "If we do nothing, I can tell you, =20
from sea to shining sea we'll have nothing but a big parking lot."

Mica said he's ready to act, announcing his goal to come up with a =20
plan. He marveled at how recent presidents, including George W. Bush, =20=

and lawmakers have failed to do that, though a congressional =20
commission is now working on it.

"Shame on Congress and past administrations," said Mica, who's served =20=

in the House since 1992.

Though he has no details, Mica said the plan should define what's =20
needed, what oversight the federal government should have and how =20
people should pay.

And pay they must, said John Horsley, director of the American =20
Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, who also =20
spoke at the luncheon.

To keep up with building and preserving highways, Congress should =20
raise the 18.4-cent federal gas tax by a dime, or enact some other =20
equivalent, and states should double toll revenues to $16 billion a =20
year and also raise other taxes and fees, the association's board =20
recently said.

Dampening the growth of driving, slicing projections by a fourth, and =20=

quadrupling transit ridership over the next 50 years also are keys, =20
the group says.

"Those are some of the tough choices that we're looking at," Horsley =20
said.

When pressed, Mica wouldn't say whether the gas tax should be raised =20
but did say that wouldn't be enough.

"We need a fundamental change in the way we finance our =20
infrastructure," he said. "This could be a great opportunity for this =20=

country."

Such a change includes figuring out what role private investments and =20=

toll roads should play, and considering a mileage-based tax now being =20=

tested in places such as Oregon, Mica said.

Also, the nation must get serious about developing high-speed =20
passenger and freight rail.

"Think of the opportunities if we had high-speed rail around the =20
United States," he said.

As the talk continues, so does the dwindling of federal =20
transportation funds.

Congress has cut promised funds to states five times since last year =20
and may do so again in next year's budget. Texas lost $666 million so =20=

far and could soon be out another $259 million.

"To be clear, this is $666 million that (Texas) and local communities =20=

will no longer be able to count on," said Fred Underwood, who serves =20
on the Texas Transportation Commission.

pdriscoll@express-news.net=