Transcript Pedersen

Highway Program Structure
Highway Recommendations
Neil Pedersen
Chair, ASC Highway Legislative Team
Vice Chair, AASHTO Standing Committee on Highways
Administrator, Maryland State Highway Administration
Program Structure
The proposed Highway Program
Structure was developed by the Team
Chairs and was approved by the
Authorization Steering Committee
September, 2008 in Dallas.
Key Assumptions
• Restore to 90% the portion of the federal
highway program apportioned to the states
• The proposed $375 billion Highway
program level is based on prior AASHTO
policy recommendations to ensure
sufficient funding necessary to restore
purchasing power
Key Assumptions
• Ability to flex highway funds to transit and
vice versa
• A planning process that looks first at
mobility and after weighing alternatives,
then decides which modal improvement is
best – highways, transit or rail
• Maintain eligibility previously established
to invest HTF resources in freight rail
Program Structure
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Preservation and Renewal Program
Freight Program
Highway Safety Improvement Program
Operations and Management Program
Transportation System
Improvement/Congestion Reduction Program
• Environment Program: Air Quality and Climate
Change
Preservation and Renewal
• $ 28.4 Billion for preservation, including
reconstruction and expansion
• Maximum flexibility
• Expanded transferability when tied to performance
• Three subcomponents –
 Interstate Preservation
 NHS Preservation
 Bridge Preservation
Freight Program
• $6.5 Billion apportioned and $3.5 Billion
discretionary
• Eligibilities – full Highway Team set, including
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Bottleneck improvements
Intermodal access to ports and distribution centers
International gateway improvements
Improve trade corridors
Develop truck only lanes
Highway Safety Improvement
Program
• $2.6 Billion
• Includes –
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RR Crossing set aside
Operation Lifesaver set aside
High Risk Rural Roads set aside
Continued funding for Safe Routes to School
Operations and Management
Program
• $3 Billion
• To improve system performance in both
rural and urban areas
• Encourage but not require the use of funds
for low-cost, quick turnaround
improvements
Transportation System
Improvement/Congestion Reduction
Program
• $11 Billion
• Urban States – with Metros > 200K
 Metro Mobility/Congestion Reduction Program:
62.5% to areas based on relative share of
population + consultation with locals
 Statewide Connectivity: 37.5% to any area in the
state + consultation with locals
Transportation System
Improvement/Congestion
Reduction Program (cont.)
• Non Urban States
 Transportation System Improvement Program
– Funds distributed to any area in the state +
consultation with locals
Environment Program: Air Quality
and Climate Change
• $ 3.4 Billion
• Two components
 50% to ozone, CO and PM non-attainment
areas
 50% for climate change initiatives
• If no non-attainment areas, current
eligibilities continue to apply
Equity Bonus
• While a minimum distribution of Highway Trust
Fund revenues to each state is appropriate,
AASHTO recommends a greater proportion of
Federal revenue be distributed across core
programs.
• When Congress determines what is necessary
to give each state an agreed upon apportioned
share, a funding component may be utilized to
make this possible.
Highway Team Recommendations
The Highway Team’s recommendations
were developed within the framework of
the proposed highway program structure
and were approved by the Authorization
Steering Committee September, 2008 in
Dallas.
Funding Recommendations
• Increase Interstate System and NHS share of
funding more than other core programs
• Continue funding for Federal Lands and nonNHS federal-aid highways
• Allow commercialization of Interstate rest areas
• Expand flexibility for tolling Interstate System
System Preservation & Asset Management
Recommendations
• Allow for use of federal funds for projects that are part of
a state’s asset management plan to meet goals for
preservation, safety and/or mobility
• Maintain existing eligible activities and transferability
under current IM, NHS and Bridge programs
• Allow for expanded transferability of federal funds when
tied to performance
• Allow more flexibility in Bridge Program and remove
current, unnecessary restrictions
Comprehensive System Study
Congress should fund a comprehensive, joint study:
• To re-examine the definition of the Interstate and
National Highway Systems
• To assess the investment requirements to preserve
and expand the Interstate System and key NHS
routes
• To evaluate the adequacy of the systems to meet
the needs of the modern military