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Lawmakers Urge Congress to 'Man Up' on Transportation Funding

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Lawmakers Urge Congress to 'Man Up' on Transportation Funding Lawmakers urge Congress to ‘man up’ on transportation funding Rosalind Rossi SunTimes April 9, 2015 http://chicago.suntimes.com/news/lawmakers‐urge‐congress‐to‐man‐up‐on‐transportation‐funding/ Illinois’ federal lawmakers stood united with area transit leaders Thursday in urging Congress to “man up” and pass a long‐term federal transportation funding bill before two key transit measures expire or teeter on insolvency. “My message to Congress is `Man up,’ ” U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, (D‐Ill.), announced at a “Stand Up 4 Transportation” news conference at Chicago’s Union Station. Durbin joined U.S. Reps. Dan Lipinski (D‐Ill.), Mike Quigley (D‐Ill.), Bill Foster (D‐Ill.) and U.S. Rep. Bob Dold (R‐Ill.) in urging Congress to pass long‐term funding instead of patchwork short‐term solutions to bankroll the nation’s public transit and transportation systems. Lipinski noted that Congress has passed 11 short‐term extensions to fund the nation’s highway and transit needs in roughly the last six years. “This is not good for our country,” Lipinski said. “Congress cannot keep kicking the can down the road . The system becomes more and more expensive to fix.” Leaders of the CTA, Metra, Pace and Amtrak joined elected officials in urging long‐term, sustainable funding to maintain and upgrade transportation needs — from buses and trains to roads and bridges. Such a move is critical to not only the nation’s ability to move goods and carry people to work and commerce but to its future, they said. Quigley noted that investing in transportation infrastructure pays dividends. He said that 6 percent of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that was passed in the “depths of the economic downturn” involved such infrastructure projects, but they generated two‐thirds of the jobs the Act produced. Similar events were held throughout the country Thursday, a national “Stand Up 4 Transportation Day.” They occurred as the Move Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act, or Map‐21, is due to expire on May 31 and the federal Highway Trust Fund faces the possibility of teetering on insolvency this summer. President Barack Obama has proposed spending $478 billion over the next six years to boost the nation’s transportation infrastructure. Funding ideas include increasing the 18.4 cents per gallon federal fuel tax and a “repatriation” plan in which companies with overseas branches or investments would bring back earnings to the United States at a 14 percent tax rate. Even Republican Dold said he was intrigued by the idea because it would encourage companies with an estimated $2 trillion in offshore dollars to redirect those funds to the U.S., at a less than corporate tax rate, rather than invest them overseas. “We have to put all the options on the table,” Dold said. The key, he said, is a long‐term, sustainable plan that will allow transportation agencies “to plan ahead and get greater use of their dollars.” Locally, Gov. Bruce Rauner has proposed cutting almost $170 million from the region’s transit systems, including a $130 million annual hit to the CTA, an almost $21 million cut to Metra, a $10 million trim to Pace, as well as the elimination of S$8.5 million in state funding to Pace for paratransit service for the disabled. Transit representatives, state politicians request federal transportation funding Julia Jacobs, Assistant City Editor Daily Northwestern April 12, 2015 http://dailynorthwestern.com/2015/04/12/city/transit‐representatives‐state‐politicians‐request‐ federal‐transportation‐funding/ Transportation officials and state politicians called for increased federal funding to cover renovations for the region’s transit system in a press conference Thursday at Chicago Union Station. Representatives from the Regional Transportation Authority along with U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D‐Ill.) and Rep. Bob Dold (R‐Ill.) discussed the need for new long‐term transportation bills that support multi‐year projects instead of relying on temporary extensions. An existing bill, called MAP‐21 — which deals with commercial vehicle safety — is set to expire at the end of May, while the Highway Trust Fund — which provides for highway spending — is financially troubled. The press conference was held on Stand Up 4 Transportation day, which a collection of transportation organizations created as a national push to gain federal funding for transportation system maintenance and expansion. “The residents of the state deserve reliable and affordable public transit, and we really need federal funds to help us keep moving,” Metra spokesman Michael Gillis told The Daily. The RTA, which includes Metra, Pace and Chicago Transit Authority, has a lack of resources to fund its capital projects, which include rehabilitating stations and expanding transportation lines, Gillis said. Metra needs more money to finish replacing ailing bridges along the Union Pacific North Line, a railroad that runs from Chicago to Wisconsin and passes through Evanston. Although the project is about 25 percent complete, Metra is counting on federal money to finish it, Gillis said. The RTA system, which covers six counties, has the second‐largest transit operation behind New York based on passenger miles traveled, according to Metra. “In my hometown area, where we have the third largest manufacturing district in the nation, we need the infrastructure to attract new businesses and support our local companies,” Dold said in a RTA news release. “I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to ensure we pass a robust and long‐term transportation funding bill.” Another Metra project in need of federal funds is Positive Train Control, a safety system Congress mandated all commuter railroads install, Gillis said. Durbin praised President Barack Obama for including in his proposed budget $825 million to help implement the project, along with other investments in transportation infrastructure. Metra has started issuing bonds in an independent effort to bolster its finances, Gillis said. “We can’t do it alone,” he added. “We need our partners in Washington and Springfield to help out.” Durbin announced on Wednesday $2 million of funding from the federal Department of Transportation to construct a railroad underpass in Springfield that will support the Chicago‐to‐St. Louis system, according to the RTA. Two days later, Durbin and other state politicians also announced an additional $7 million of federal, state and Chicago funds to renovate Union Station. Rep. Lipinski Helps Lead Push on Funding for Public Transportation By ISAAC SANCKEN Star Patcher April 9, 2015 Rep. Lipinski Helps Lead Push on Funding for Public Transportation At Union Station in Chicago today, Congressman Dan Lipinski (IL‐3) joined representatives from the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA), the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), Metra, Pace, Amtrak, and other members of the Illinois congressional delegation to push Congress to pass a long‐term bill to fund local and national transportation needs, especially public transportation. The event is one of many “Stand Up 4 Transportation” activities taking place across the country today. “Simply put, we cannot continue to kick the can down the road on a highway and transit funding bill,” stated Rep. Dan Lipinski (IL‐3). “As the most senior member from Illinois on the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, and representing a district that is crisscrossed by every mode of private and public transit, I understand the need to pass a comprehensive long‐term bill instead of searching under the federal couch cushions for money every few months to avoid a funding crisis. In the last six years, there have been eleven short‐term extensions. As founding co‐chair of the Congressional Public Transit Caucus, I know what a disaster this has been, especially for transit. We need a fix, not a band‐aid.” Transit is important to all Chicago area residents. In the region, public transit provides nearly two million rides per day. Recently, Congressman Lipinski worked with Congressman Reid Ribble from Wisconsin to get a bipartisan group of almost 300 members of Congress to come together to call for House Leadership to pass a responsibly paid‐for, multi‐year highway and transit bill. “Transit in Chicago is about getting people to and from school, work, the doctor, the store, sporting events, church, and countless other daily activities in an affordable, safe, and timely manner,” Rep. Lipinski said. “Advancing transit is not just good for the region, it’s good for the whole country. It’s time for everyone to roll up their sleeves and get to work on a robust bill that provides the level of funding we know our area and our nation need.” Nearly $34 billion is needed to replace, rehabilitate, and maintain bus and train service in the Chicagoland region. But federal spending on transportation infrastructure has been stagnant and often unpredictable for the past decade. “The only way to fix our transportation system is by passing a long‐term, robust funding bill,” said Congressman Lipinski. “This will give certainty to transportation planners, especially transit agencies, so that they can make the investments that are needed to move people safely and efficiently every day.” Chicago Region Stands Up for Transportation Leah Harnack Mass Transit Magazine APR 10, 2015 http://www.masstransitmag.com/media_gallery/12063457/chicago‐stands‐up‐for‐transportation Highlighting the need for long‐term federal funding for transportation, local public transportation officials, Amtrak and political leaders met in Chicago’s Union Station urging Congress to stand up for transportation and support consistent long‐term funding for the nation's transportation and transit systems. The press conference focused on Move Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP‐21), which expires on May 31 and the Highway Trust Fund, which will be facing insolvency this summer. “The RTA is proud to stand unified with the CTA, Metra and Pace in recognizing our need for Congress to pass a sensible, long‐term surface transportation bill that fully funds our region’s and nation’s public transit needs,” said Regional Transportation Authority Chairman Kirk Dillard.
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