SUPPORT OF CREATING A “PROJECTS OF NATIONAL AND REGIONAL
SIGNIFICANCE” OR “MEGA-PROJECTS” CATEGORY IN THE REAUTHORIZATION OF TEA-21, AND
FUNDING IT AT A ROBUST LEVEL
WHEREAS,
America’s cities rely on a healthy transportation infrastructure to keep their
metropolitan economies competitive in the world marketplace; and
WHEREAS,
a critical piece of that healthy infrastructure is the ability to efficiently
move freight to and from markets and ports to national and international
destinations; and
WHEREAS,
Federal and State governments have a history of partnering with cities in
meeting their transportation infrastructure needs; and
WHEREAS,
many cities are facing the need to build, rebuild, or repair major segments of
their transportation infrastructure to stimulate economic growth, move freight
and goods, relieve congestion, and ensure safe travel; and
WHEREAS,
there is no funding source in the existing Federal-Aid Highway program adequate
to address the needs of these “mega-projects”; and
WHEREAS,
the U.S. Conference of Mayors adopted a policy for reauthorization of TEA-21
that calls for the creation of a Federal funding source to help address
“mega-projects”; and
WHEREAS,
the U.S. House of Representatives included within its adopted TEA-21 reauthorization
bill a Projects of National and Regional Significance category funded at a
level of $6.6 billion,
NOW,
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that The United States Conference of Mayors urges
Congress to pass a Projects of National and Regional Significance category with
robust funding in the final TEA-21 reauthorization bill.
©2004 U.S. Conference of Mayors 