Legislative Alert from the American Public Transportation Association (APTA)

On Tuesday, March 17, the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure held the second hearing of this Congress on Surface Transportation Reauthorization with several organizations giving testimony on the importance of the federal role in a long-term surface transportation bill. The witnesses, as well as the organizations they represented can be found below.

• The Honorable Patrick McCrory, Governor, State of North Carolina; on behalf of the National Governors Association
• The Honorable Ralph Becker, Mayor, Salt Lake City, Utah; on behalf of the National League of Cities
• The Honorable John Cox, Director, Wyoming Department of Transportation; on behalf of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)
• All three witnesses stressed the need for a federal partnership with the combination of other revenue streams to sustain the nation’s transportation system. Governor McCrory focused on the theme of interconnectivity between states for a truly national system to advance commerce and create mutual beneficial relationships between regions. Mayor Becker talked about the need for transit in emerging cities, as well as the financial burden that the delay of long-term federal funding causes for these programs. Director Cox emphasized ho state taxes are a supplement for transportation funding, but cannot be a substitute for federal funding. Each witness answered questions from Members of the Committee on issues including devolution, regulatory burdens, transparency and funding sources, among many other topicsTo view the hearing in its entirety or to read the prepared remarks by the witnesses, please visit the committee website here.

States

Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas