The Mission Ahead: Rebuilding America's Highways and Skyways
Every six years, Congress and the administration attempt to set transportation policies, goals and spending priorities — a process that is currently under way on Capitol Hill. In this special installment of Roll Call's Mission Ahead, experts lay out their vision for America’s transportation future. One thing that emerges from these articles is clear: The status quo is no longer acceptable.
On the Ground
Kavinoky: Transportation — You Get What You Pay for
July 13, 2009
For an administration and Congress that have promised to tackle big challenges for the long-term benefit of our country, they appear to be taking a pass on one of the most important: investment in our nation’s highways, bridges and public transportation systems.
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Hyman and Hanka: Governments Need Spending Flexibility
July 13, 2009
In Washington, D.C., large pieces of legislation may mean more funding for local communities, but they also tend to result in greater federal control. The mammoth bill reauthorizing federal surface transportation programs is no exception to this rule. This year, cities, counties, townships and other units of local government are bracing for a large-scale overhaul of federal transportation programs.
Horsley: Funding for Important Programs Is in Peril
July 13, 2009
Across the nation, state transportation officials find themselves at a crossroads between promise and peril. The promise of what transportation investment can mean to the economy is being delivered through the 1,500 highway projects already under construction, funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and creating thousands of jobs. The peril is represented at the state level as the collapsing economy has dramatically reduced state transportation revenues and forced cutbacks in planned transportation investments.
Corless: A New Vision for This Century
July 13, 2009
Every few generations, innovations in transportation spur a revolution in how people and goods move around, with profound implications for how and where we build our cities and towns, and ultimately how we live.
Graves: Infrastructure Health Essential to the Economy
July 13, 2009
As Congress takes up the surface transportation reauthorization bill, it’s important to consider the vital role that highway infrastructure plays in our economy. The National Highway System carries 40 percent of all U.S. traffic and 75 percent of truck traffic. Its strength is essential to our freedom and the quality of life that we enjoy in the U.S.
Gillan: Time for Enhanced Safety Measures
July 13, 2009
The recent release of 2008 highway fatality figures by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration indicating nearly 4,000 fewer highway deaths last year compared to 2007 is welcome news. However, the reduction is more likely related to high fuel prices and the economic downturn than to specific safety advances.
Runyan: Heavier Trucks Can Aid the Environment
July 13, 2009
We need to take swift action in order to prevent our transportation system from becoming overwhelmed over the next decade. Truck traffic is currently increasing 11 times faster than road capacity, while freight hauled by trucks in the U.S. is expected to double by 2025. We have the opportunity this year to address this issue through carefully crafted vehicle weight limit reform that will improve highway safety, benefit the environment by reducing emissions and fuel usage, and increase economic productivity.
Hamberger: Freight Trains Aid Economy, Environment
July 13, 2009
The current economic downturn must not be allowed to obscure the fact that the nation needs more transportation capacity, and needs it now. Our economy will not grow if goods and people aren’t able to effectively and efficiently move from one section of the country to another. Yet highways are packed today, with congestion already costing the country more than $80 billion annually, according to the Texas Transportation Institute.
In the Air
May: U.S. Air Traffic Control System Needs Update
July 13, 2009
As work continues to re-establish our vibrant national economy, attention continues to focus on federal programs that can effectively jump-start the process. The question: Where can prudent federal spending now produce both good quality, near-term jobs and provide the maximum return on those investments as the economy again begins to pick up steam?
Faberman: Deregulation Benefits Are Being Threatened
July 13, 2009
Approximately 30 years ago, the American public was given the enormous benefits of airline deregulation, which provided reasonably priced flight options that allowed everyone to visit family and friends, take vacations and meet with business acquaintances. It opened doors that few people thought would ever be opened.
Fights on the Side
Hoffa: Congress Can Close a Major Loophole
July 13, 2009
Congress will soon decide whether to close a loophole that lets one Fortune 500 company evade the labor law that its 46 competitors must follow.
More From The Mission Ahead: Transportation
DeFeo: Investing in Infrastructure Key to Economic Recovery
February 20, 2009
As history has taught us, during periods of economic downturn, the most effective way to create jobs, stimulate the economy and pay down debt is to invest wisely and build for the future. I am encouraged that this is a lesson President Barack Obama fully understands.
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Crow: Not Your Grandfather’s Recovery Plan
January 29, 2009
For the past several months, the million-dollar question in Washington on the American economy was whether it was in recession. That question has been answered in the affirmative, and was echoed loudly by the December jobs report. That echo will also likely reverberate when the January job numbers are released. Now, the million-dollar question — or, as it appears, the trillion-dollar question — is what to do about it.
Dove & Flaherty: Moving the Infrastructure World
January 27, 2009
The 'leverage' principle in math and physics is one that all government policymakers should take to heart as they plan to commit billions of dollars to infrastructure over the next two years, starting this month with the economic stimulus bill.
Mineta: Preserving the Nation’s Infrastructure Must Be a Top Priority of Leaders
Nov. 20, 2008
After spending 20 years in Congress and serving as secretary of Commerce under former President Bill Clinton and secretary of Transportation under President George W. Bush, I’ve seen a lot of elections and witnessed the transition of new administrations. I started my first term in Congress in the 1970s, a decade that saw rampant inflation and slow economic growth, an unprecedented combination that led to stagflation. Here we are, more than 30 years later, and once again America finds itself in a time of great economic turmoil.
Schumer Advocates for Many on Panel
Nov. 16, 12 a.m.
As Senate Majority Leader, Lyndon Johnson once said of the Joint Economic Committee, “It’s as useless as tits on a bull.” But as that panel’s chairman during the 110th Congress, Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) seized the opportunity to elevate the traditionally low-profile post to the forefront of shaping policy. Read Full Article
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