By Ron Thaniel
March 29, 2004

Preparing for the likely House and Senate Conference action late Spring on the reauthorization of TEA-21, The U.S. Conference of Mayors on March 23 sent a letter to Congress expressing support for a well-funded six-year transportation bill based on the Senate funding level of $318 billion.

In the letter, Conference President Hempstead (NY) Mayor James A. Garner said that the cornerstone of the Conference's transportation agenda is a well-funded surface transportation reauthorization bill that invests in transit, addresses aging and congested infrastructure, protects the environment, defends citizen participation and fosters desperately needed job creation.

Acknowledging public transit's dramatic ridership growth, the letter urges the highest possible funding level for transit. The letter adds that funding the transit program from the general fund should be guaranteed. Also, current matching shares for the transit program as authorized under ISTEA and TEA-21 should be maintained. The letter opposes any proposal for the transit program that attempts to fund increased levels for highway programs through reallocation of transit funding resources.

The letter urges Members of Congress to fund the core highway programs at the highest levels possible. This is recognition that congestion is a growing problem costing over $78 billion annually, 32 percent of our major roads are in poor or mediocre condition and 29 percent of bridges are structurally deficient or functionally obsolete.

The letter adds that it is difficult for localities and states to dedicate adequate resources to large'scale infrastructure projects, ones that address aging and congested transportation infrastructure. It urges Congress to maintain their support for "Projects of National and Regional Significance" by funding this program at the highest levels possible.

In response to the growing number of non-attainment areas designated under the 8-hour ozone and fine particulate matter standards, the letter supports increased funding for the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) program.

Also as owners and managers of virtually all of the nation's highways, bridges, and transit systems, the letter urges Members of Congress to suballocate greater surface transportation funds to cities.

Local and State National Associations Support Well-Funded Bill To Meet Critical Infrastructure Needs

On behalf of the nation's state legislatures and local elected and appointed officials, The U.S. Conference of Mayors, National League of Cities, National Association of Counties, National Conference of State Legislatures, The Council of State Governments and International City/County Management Association sent a letter this week urging Congress to enact a six-year surface transportation reauthorization measure that provides federal investment for the nation's highway and transit systems of no less than $318 billion.

Also this week, The U.S. Conference of Mayors was joined by the National Association of Counties, American Public Works Association, National Association of Regional Councils, National Association of County Engineers, Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations and National Association of Development Organizations in a letter urging Congress to support policies that direct transportation funding to where the problems are and to those who understand the problems by suballocating greater funds to local areas.

Please visit the Conference's homepage at usmayors.org to view the transportation letters.