Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Federal Transportation Bill

At NACTO Conference, LaHood Delivers Straight Talk on MAP-21

After a rousing opening speech from NYC Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood took the stage at the "Designing Cities" conference of the National Association of City Transportation Officials yesterday. Streetsblog stringer Dani Simons was there and briefed us on the highlights.

false

LaHood said:

  • We’ve made amazing progress in cities in the past four years with light rail, high-speed rail, BRT, walking and biking paths. And we’re not going back. We can only go forward from here.
  • The incubators (of good transportation ideas) in America are the cities.
  • I know a lot of you were disappointed about the new federal transportation bill, MAP-21, but you know the best thing about the new bill? It’s only a two-year bill.
  • In my opinion the fight over the next bill won’t be as much about content as it is about how to fund it. And I think, if Obama is reelected, that Congress will start getting to work on the new bill starting in January.
  • Hopefully Congress will pass new appropriations to fund another round of TIGER grants, but that depends on whether Congress passes any new appropriations before the end of this term.

Indeed, there are stirrings of work on the next bill already. LaHood is right: The fight next time will be all about money, just as the fight last time was all about money -- it was just never resolved. If Congress can't find a way to bring in as much in revenue as the Highway Trust Fund needs to spend on infrastructure, the country will continue along a path of belt-tightening and bailouts -- and it will strengthen the hand of anyone who wants to eliminate fundingfor transit, walking and biking. Without overcoming the funding issue first, it will be difficult to make any other significant progress in the next bill.

As for appropriations, the House has passed half of its appropriations bills for fiscal year 2013, which has already started, including the one for transportation. The full Senate has passed none, though the Senate committee for transportation appropriations did pass one that includes money for TIGER, as well as the Partnership for Sustainable Communities grants and non-high-speed inter-city passenger rail. The House budget doesn't allocate money for any of those things. A continuing budget resolution is in place now, which freezes current funding through the end of March, including for TIGER.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Wow, The Bedford Avenue Protected Bike Lane Is Really Happening

DOT will begin installing the long-awaited protected bike lane in Bedford-Stuyvesant in the next few weeks, officials said.

September 10, 2024

Walk this Way: Feds Finally Want Car Safety Standards to Apply to People Outside the Vehicle

In the midst of a two-decade rise, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration proposed new rules to "reduce fatalities among pedestrians."

September 10, 2024

Hochul To Congestion Pricing Supporters: You Can’t Sue Me For Something I Haven’t ‘Done’

Hochul hopes her non-committal congestion pricing "pause" can shield her from state law requiring its implementation, according to recent court filings.

September 10, 2024

Tuesday’s Headlines: The Mayor is Sick Edition

Mayor Adams came down with Covid just in time to cancel his "town hall" meeting on the Underhill Avenue bike boulevard. Plus other news.

September 10, 2024

Monday’s Headlines: Far From the Madding Crowd Edition

Gov. Hochul skipped an event on Sunday because she was going to be heckled by congestion pricing supporters. Plus other news.

September 9, 2024
See all posts