The U.S. House has scheduled debate on a multi-year transportation bill, which could improve how local communities receive funding for their transportation projects, for the end of September.
The
Senate recently passed a multi-year transportation bill known as the
DRIVE Act, which authorizes finances for transportation projects for the
next six years. Unfortunately, there is only funding to last for the
first three years.
Because the House adjourned for its August recess before taking up the
Senate’s long-term bill, Congress decided to pass a three-month
extension of transportation funding through late October.
Unfortunately for local communities, an amendment introduced in March,
the Innovation in Surface Transportation Act of 2015, was not included
in the DRIVE Act (ISTA). The measure would grant more control of
transportation funding to local communities, allowing them to monitor
their own transportation funding. This likely would help ensure that
only the best projects would receive needed financing. ISTA would give
local communities a greater portion of federal transportation funding by
allocating statewide transportation money to a specific fund, out of
which local communities can then compete for financing.
A similar amendment might resurface when reauthorization re-emerges for renewal this fall.
