By Kevin McCarty
July 2, 2012

Transportation and Communications Committee Chair Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed convened his mayoral colleagues for a June 13 committee session during the Conference's 80th Annual Meeting in Orlando. Committee members approved new resolutions, reviewed the status of pending transportation legislation, and were briefed on efforts by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to advance broadband deployment and the build-out of a new public safety broadband network.

In his remarks, Reed praised Conference of Mayors President Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa for his leadership on transportation issues, specifically renewal of the surface transportation bill. "His many efforts raised the visibility of transportation issues within this Conference, and before the nation. He championed innovative financing through his America Fast Forward initiative to provide us with more options for moving critical infrastructure projects forward," Reed said.

Commenting on the pending legislation, Reed said, "Clearly, we will be back at this issue in the next Congress. We have more work ahead of us."

Committee Vice Chair Oak Park Mayor David Pope provided an update on Amtrak, reporting that "Amtrak ridership continues to grow, setting ridership records eight of the last nine years. Amtrak is on pace to set another record for ridership in 2012."

Pope told the panel members that Congress is now working on Fiscal Year 2013 appropriations, reminding mayors to keep in touch with Members of Congress to urge a strong commitment to Amtrak.

Reed in his remarks praised North Little Rock Mayor Patrick Henry Hays, the panel's long'serving Vice Chair for Railroads and Passenger Rail. "Mayor Hays is retiring at the end of this year, after serving 24 years as mayor," Reed said. "I would like our record today to show our appreciation for his many contributions to this Committee's work."

"As our Vice Chair for rail issues, he [Hays] was always outspoken on the need for more rail investment" Pope said. "I know we will all miss Mayor Hays and his leadership on these important issues."

Speaking on behalf of NTIA, Dan Phythyon, Chief of the Policy, Planning, and Analysis Division in the Office of Emergency Communications at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, provided the mayors with an overview of federal efforts to support broadband deployment as well as more recent efforts to deploy a new public safety broadband network. Phythyon cited data compiled by NTIA on its Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) grants supporting local efforts to expand broadband capacities, with 56,000 miles of fiber and connecting up 8,000 institutions and more than 30,000 workstations. Despite this progress, he emphasized there is much more to be done to ensure broader broadband penetration, stating, "NTIA's research shows that there are still too many people who are not connected."

He also reported briefly on the start-up of the new public safety broadband network, known as FirstNet, which was made possible by legislation reallocating 10 MHz "D Block" to public safety. He noted that the board of FirstNet would be appointed by August, and that rules were now being developed on the allocation of funding resources to support network deployment efforts.

• Local Government Authority over Satellite Dish Installation Locations

• Federal Funding for Pedestrian and Bicycle Programs

• In Support of Alternative Modes of Transportation, such as Bikesharing Programs, as a Means to Increase Transportation Mobility and Mode Choice

• State Substitution for NEPA

• Capital Investment Grant Program

• America Fast Forward: Rebuilding Our Infrastructure and Generating Jobs

• In Support of High'speed Rail

• National Exports and Ports Policy

• Require that the U.S. Department of Energy Focus on the Treatment and Storage of Radioactive Waste On'site Where Appropriate to Mitigate Health and Environmental Risks of Transporting Low, High and Mixed Level Waste to Offsite Treatment Facilities

• Supporting Electric Vehicles