March 3, 2003

Increase Funding

Preserve and grow the transit program from $7.5 billion to $14 billion and highway program from $34 billion to $41 billion by FY 2009.

• Effective local transportation systems move the economy and create jobs.
• For every $1 billion dollars invested in transportation development in local communities, 42,000 jobs are created.
• Transit ridership has grown nearly 25 percent since 1995, representing the highest level in more than 40 years.
• A recent Department of Transportation Report on the Conditions and Performance of our nation's transit and highway infrastructure stated that the transportation funding needs are greater than twice the amount we are spending today.

Suballocation

Federal funds must be suballocated to local governments.

• In our communities we are facing persistent and growing transportation challenges that demonstrate the need for greater resources to be committed and spent locally.
• Local governments own approximately 75 percent of the nearly 4 million miles of highways and roads; over 50 percent of all bridges; and manage about 90 percent of the nation's transit systems. However, local governments control only 10 cents for every one-dollar spent on transportation.
• Suballocation is the tool that gives local government entities the resources and decision-making ability to direct transportation funds where they are most needed.

Congestion Mitigation

We must have adequate tools and resources to combat congestion.

• Mayors are being held accountable by their constituents to address congestion. We must be given the adequate tools and resources to combat it.
• Congestion is clogging our highways and roads. It's keeping our families trapped in traffic for hours at a time. And it's impairing the quality of life of citizens.
• Congestion is stalling our economy. The individual cost of congestion exceeded $900 per driver in the late 1990's, resulting in over $72 billion in lost wages and wasted fuel.
• The Congestion Mitigation Air Quality Program must grow substantially over the current level of $8.1 billion provided in the 6 years of the TEA-21 bill. The program helps metropolitan areas who must comply with clean air standards, implement practical solutions to reduce pollution such as transit and traffic flow improvement projects.
• Over the last six years, states have left $2.2 billion for congestion fighting programs on the table.