Atlanta Mayor Bill Campbell, who chairs the Conference’s Transportation and Communications Committee, convened panel members June 12 to review a number of pending legislative issues and proposed policy statements, focusing on the Congressional debate on legislation to increase investment in the nation’s aviation system.

Campbell discussed House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bud Shuster’s (PA) efforts to secure approval of his bipartisan aviation investment bill, called "AIR-21" (H.R. 1000), pointing out that the legislation would be considered by the House of Representatives as mayors were heading home from the New Orleans Annual Meeting.

He said, "The biggest issue before the us in the transportation area is the aviation legislation. Like TEA-21 last year, House Chairman Bud Shuster will take his ‘AIR-21’ bill to the floor next week, a bill which provides increased funding and new authorities for aviation investment."

Campbell recited the key features of the legislation, which included a tripling of Airport Improvement Program (AIP) entitlement grants to primary airports, a doubling of AIP entitlement grants to cargo airports, increased AIP commitments to noise mitigation, and new authority to airports to increase Passenger Facility Charge (PFCs).

Later in the Committee session, the mayors heard from representatives of the airline industry. Leading a panel of experts was John Meenan, Vice President of Industry Policy for the Air Transport Association (ATA), who was joined by Harold Bevis, Vice President of Public Affairs for Delta Air Lines, and John Philp, Regional Director of Government & Civic Affairs for United Airlines. After their presentations, Committee members questioned the airline experts on a number of issues regarding airline fares in small and medium markets, initiatives to promote competition and the pending aviation legislation.

During the Committee’s discussion on other transportation issues, Campbell noted that the first anniversary of the "Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century" (TEA-21) had just been observed, and noted the continuing efforts in the greater Atlanta area to reconcile TEA-21 funding and clean air conformity requirements.

USCM Support for "E-Rate"

Campbell discussed recent Conference efforts to underscore the support of the nation’s mayors for the FCC’s "E-Rate" program, explaining how Dearborn Mayor Michael Guido and he had traveled to Washington, DC to advocate for this program which helps schools and libraries gain more affordable access to the Internet. At a May 26 Capitol Hill event, he noted, the two mayors had released a letter signed by 24 Conference leaders conveying strong support for full funding of the "E-Rate" program.

He also pointed out that this FCC program, which was authorized in the "Telecommunications Act of 1996," was under attack in Congress. Despite some Congressional opposition, he noted, the Commission subsequently voted 3-2 to fully fund the program at $2.25 billion next year.

At the Committee session, Guido, who serves as the Committee’s Vice Chair for Telecommunications, also provided the panel members with a detailed report on pending telecommunications matters affecting the nation’s mayors.

Action on Policy Statements

After voting on a few technical amendments, the members of the Transportation and Communications Committee approved each of the seven pending resolutions, and approved a new resolution on pedestrian and bicycle safety issues authored by Mayor Campbell.

The Committee approved policy statements calling upon Congress to adopt Chairman Shuster’s bipartisan "AIR-21î legislation, to adopt better reporting and improved information systems to track TEA-21 expenditures, to support public transit funding particularly new rail starts, to "SUPPORT FOR PUBLIC TRANSIT FUNDING" to provide capital funding to ensure the future of passenger rail (Amtrak), and to endorse full funding of FCC’s "E-Rate" program. One policy statement calls on states to provide cities with the authority to adopt photo enforcement programs   "PHOTO ENFORCEMENT PROGRAMS" and another statement urges the FCC to support U.S. DOT’s petition for a N11 number for traffic and traveler information.