By Ron Thaniel
October 18, 2004

After months of not being able to reach an agreement on the funding level for the reauthorization of TEA-21, Congress passed and the President signed HR 5183 extending the transportation law an additional eight months, through May 31, 2005.

The sixth extension authorizes spending at limits to be set in the FY05 Transportation'treasury appropriations bill (HR 5025, S 2806) which is $24.5 billion in contract authority for highways, $5.2 billion for transit, $200 million for highway safety and $287 million for motor carrier safety.

Congress could still consider a long-term extension of TEA 21 in a lame duck session, but it seems likely that TEA 21 reauthorization will be dealt with in the 109 Congress.

In a September 22 letter to House'senate leadership and members of the transportation conference committee, Conference President Akron Mayor Donald L. Plusquellic urged "no less than $318 billion over six years for reauthorization of the nation's surface transportation law to build a 21st Century Transportation system with modern transit, bridges, large scale transportation infrastructure projects, and metro highway systems with new technologies that link major metro areas, cut the time people spend in traffic, create more jobs, and move goods and services more productively."

Mayors Urged To Meet With House And Senate Members

The Conference urges mayors to meet with their House and Senate members during the Washington (DC) recess while in their states and districts to highlight metropolitan transportation needs:

Public Transportation Investment

• Recognizing that public transportation reduces congestion, the nation's mayors urge no less than $56.5 billion for public transportation to stimulate a dramatic expansion of high-capacity public transit systems, including light rail, heavy rail, commuter rail, and bus service.
• Funding for the transit program from the general fund and the Mass Transit Account of the Highway Trust Fund should be guaranteed and we support maintaining current federal-local matching shares for the transit program as authorized under ISTEA and TEA-21.
• Oppose efforts to increase funding for the highway program by reducing funding for the transit program by maintaining the 20 percent transit - 80 percent highway share.
• Support the historical funding allocation of 40 percent for rail modernization, 40 percent for the new starts program and 20 percent for the bus and bus facilities program as included in H.R. 3550.
• Recognizing that cities throughout the United States are embracing less expensive, fixed guideway transit projects like streetcars, trolleys and bus rapid transit, we support the establishment of a new Small Starts Program with modified Federal rules to expedite these projects.

Metropolitan Infrastructure Investment

• Acknowledging that 32 percent of our major roads are in poor condition and 29 percent of the nation's bridges are structurally deficient or functionally obsolete, we urge you to fund the core highway programs at no less than the $261.5 billion identified in the Senate bill.
• Recognizing that it is difficult for localities and states to dedicate adequate resources to build, rebuild, or repair large'scale infrastructure projects addressing freight and goods movement, safety, and aging and congested transportation infrastructure, we urge no less than $6.6 billion for "Projects of National and Regional Significance."

Environmental Investment

• The Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Program (CMAQ) should be funded at the Senate's $13.4 billion level in response to the growing number of non-attainment areas designated under the 8-hour ozone and fine particulate matter standards.
• Oppose efforts designed to divert CMAQ funds to other purposes, undermining commitments to metropolitan areas to fund the clean air mandate.
• Recognizing that metropolitan areas are struggling with the contamination of drinking water and the cleanup of streams, rivers, lakes and ponds from stormwater discharge, including oil, grease, lead and mercury, the nation's mayors support the establishment of a Highway Stormwater Discharge Mitigation Program as designed in S.1072.

Safety and Increased Public Investment

• Recognizing that safe routes for bicycles, walking and other non-motorized transportation choices are still inadequate in many metropolitan areas, the nation's mayors support the Safe Routes to School program as designed and funded H.R. 3550 and also support maximum funding for Transportation Enhancements.
• We urge you to support the metropolitan planning fund provision in the Senate bill that would increase the takedown for metropolitan areas from 1 percent to 1.5 percent. We believe this adjustment will enhance clean air efforts, increase public involvement, and will improve congestion relief efforts.

For more information on the reauthorization of TEA-21, including side-by'side of the competing bills highlighting Conference priorities, visit www.usmayors.org.