By Ron Thaniel
July 4, 2011

Transportation and Communications Committee Chair Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed convened the committee at the 79th Annual Meeting of the Conference of Mayors in Baltimore on June 18. The members of the committee approved new resolutions calling for increased federal transportation infrastructure investments in cities and defense of local rights-of-way authority and compensation in conjunction with the Federal Communications Commission Broadband Notice of Inquiry.

Conference of Mayors Vice President Los Angeles Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa and Mesa (AZ) Mayor Scott Smith provided the committee with an overview of the America Fast Forward infrastructure investment initiative. As proposed by Villaraigosa, America Fast Forward would increase the annual Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) funding; increase the maximum percentage of the funding allotment that TIFIA can finance; permit the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) to approve multiple related projects at the same time; allow USDOT to grant up-front credits to projects; and authorize USDOT to lock-in interest rates for approved projects.

Parsons Brinckerhoff Americas Transportation Company President Greg Kelly and Parsons Brinckerhoff Senior Vice President Jeff Morales presented key findings of the Conference of Mayors’ groundbreaking survey assessing the mobility needs of cities, and based on those findings, where Congress and the Obama Administration should prioritize transportation investments as they set priorities for long-term spending and deficit reduction. “Through this survey, which I released last month at the National Press Club, mayors are saying that future federal transportation investments must prioritize spending on pressing 21st century metropolitan infrastructure needs as opposed to low priority highway expansion projects,” said Reed.

Reed thanked Parsons Brinckerhoff for sponsoring the survey and noted that Parsons Brinckerhoff is a leader in the development and operation of infrastructure to meet the needs of cities around the world and is a strong supporter of the Conference of Mayors. To download the survey, go to the website www.usmayors.org/transportationsurvey.

Transportation and Communications Committee Vice Chair Oak Park (IL) Mayor David Pope provided the mayors with an update on the long-delayed reauthorization of the federal surface transportation law.

With introductory remarks from Conference of Mayors Transportation and Communications Committee Vice Chair for Communications Policy Tallahassee Mayor John R. Marks III, Ken Fellman, President of National Associations of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors, and Gerry Lederer, Counsel with Miller and Van Eaton, provided the mayors with a report on the Federal Communications Commission Notice of Inquiry which reflects the Commission’s plan to demand cities allow access to their rights-of-way to communications companies at fees that it determines to be reasonable. Fellman and Lederer urged the mayors to file comments with the Commission in defense of local rights-of-way authority and compensation. “At stake is billions of dollars in rental compensation which cities receive each year on behalf of their taxpayers and authority and expertise of cities to manage the public rights-of-way,” said Marks. For more information on filing comments, contact Conference of Mayors Assistant Executive Director Ron Thaniel at rthaniel@usmayors.org. Comments are due July 18 and Reply Comments are due August 30.

San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee presented the SFpark best practice, which will improve mobility and make San Francisco more livable. The goal of SFpark is to make it easier to park in San Francisco, reducing traffic and other problems caused by circling and double-parking. This is done using smarter demand-responsive pricing and providing drivers better information about where to find parking. A video on SFpark is available on line at http://sfpark.org/about-the-project/.

• Federal Communications Commission “Notice Of Inquiry” Related to Public Rights-Of-Way and Wireless Facilities Siting

• 2011 Broadband Communications Policy and Opposition to Federal Communications Commission Notice of Inquiry (“NOI”)

• Oppose Legislation That Would Preempt Local Revenue Raising Authority with Respect to Taxation of Wireless Telecommunications Services

• Improving Public Safety Communications

• In Support of the President’s High Speed Rail Initiative

• A Metropolitan Transportation Reauthorization

• Acceleration of Locally Sponsored Transportation Projects in the Federal Program Through Local Grant Administration

• “America Fast Forward: Creating Jobs The Right Way”

• In Support of Increasing the Passenger Facility Charge

• In Support of the Use of Red Light and Speed Cameras to Reduce Injuries and Fatalities on Our Nation’s Roads