By Ron Thaniel
March 6, 2006

Testifying before the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs February 28, Conference of Mayors Environment Committee Chair Charlotte Mayor Patrick L. McCrory stressed the importance of mass transit in cities stating, “The importance of transit investment in the life of a city … cannot be underestimated.”

McCrory told the Committee that, “If I can’t get people to and from work in a reasonable amount of time with many choices, they are going to move elsewhere.”

Chaired by Senator Richard C. Shelby (AL) and Ranking Member Paul S. Sarbanes (MD), the hearing focused on the Administration’s Fiscal Year 2007 Budget for the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). Also testifying were FTA Deputy Administrator Sandra Bushue and President of the American Public Transportation Association William Millar.

At issue is a $100 million cut in the Small Starts program proposed in the budget, as well as a concern that this cut undermines the historic 80/20 percent split between highways and transit.

When asked by Shelby why the Conference of Mayors urged the Congress to maintain an 80/20 percent split between highways and transit in the reauthorization of the nation’s transportation law, McCrory said, “It shows a commitment to a dual transportation system.”

Shelby said that, “The Administration choose to fully fund the federal highway program – which I strongly support – but by not fully funding transit, the budget undermines the historic 80/20 percent split between highways and transit that was a hallmark of this authorization (SAFETEA-LU).”

The new “Small Starts” are Capital Investment Grants less than $75,000,000. The program provides funding for smaller projects with a federal New Starts share of less than $75 million. This includes streetcar, trolley, bus rapid transit (if a substantial portion of the project operates in a separate right of way in a defined corridor dedicated for public transit use during peak hours or it has other characteristics of a fixed guideway system), and commuter rail projects. In addition, Small Starts projects may not total more than $250 million. Simplified procedures and criteria apply to the program.