Update: Threat to federal funding for bicycling improvements averted

Update: Sept. 15 — US. Senator Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) has backed off on his plans to block a Transportation funding bill.

His opposition would have threatened funding for bicycle and pedestrian projects, as well as force a shutdown of the FAA and airports.

Coburn opposed the transportation funding measure because of enhancements that go to bike paths and other roadside improvements — about 2% of the total appropriation.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev) made the announcement on the Senate floor Thursday night. He had previously said that Coburn was acting “like a dictator.”

The bill passed overwhelmingly, 92-6.

The threat to the funding prompted a number of bicycle advocacy groups to launch an email campaign in favor of continued transportation funding for bicycle and pedestrian safety projects. I'd like to think those efforts encouraged Coburn's colleagues to pressure him to abandon his stalling tactics.

Also see League of American Bicyclists: The Transportation Bill passes 92-6.

Advocacy groups are warning that federal funding for bicycle and pedestrian projects in the current Transportation bill are under imminent threat.

The House of Representatives passed the 6-month extension on expenditures for transportation projects on Tuesday; its next stop is the Senate.

But Senator Tom Coburn (R-Oklahoma) says he's planning to introduce an amendment when the bill hits the Senate floor that would block the set-asides for the Transportation Enhancements program from the bill.

Funding source

For the past 20 years, the Transportation Enhancements program has been the funding source for many of the bike lanes, bike trails, bike racks on buses, and other amenities that we enjoy today. It amounts to about $700 million a year.

Losing that funding source would have a huge impact on local efforts to improve bicycling safety, while at the same time have no impact on the deficit. The enhancement budget, amounting to 2% of Transportation funding, would just go to other transportation projects, such as more roads.

Attack

Apparently Coburn and his ilk don't get the idea that bicycles are transportation. That's how a lot of people get to work and run their errands.

Kevin Mills, VP of Programs for Rails to Trails Conservancy says, “We cannot—and must not—sit by while Sen. Coburn holds our nation’s
transportation system hostage to attack a popular, cost-effective
program that provides affordable transportation, creates jobs and
improves health.”

Getting serious about building more bike lanes and bike trails takes more traffic off the roads, saving all that money for extra freeway lanes. It reduces pollution and global warming. We don't have to drill for deep sea oil resources or expand the dirty business of extracting oil from shale.

Want to put more people back to work? It's been documented that bike projects employ more people per $1 million of expenditure than highway construction.

Action Alert

All this is probably preaching to the choir. We know the reasons why it makes sense to build facilities to encourage people to ride their bikes. We just need to remind our Senators.

The League for American Bicyclists has an Action Alert email ready to go. All you need to do is type in your zip code and it prepares an email to your two Senators. You can use the message on file or edit it to your liking.

Adventure Cycling Association and America Bikes is directing people to a similar email form at Safe Routes to School National Partnership, or you can choose the email form at Rails to Trails Conservancy.

Let's swamp our Senators' offices with emails so they know their constituents support bicycling and walking improvements.

Update: 2 Senators respond

Wednesday morning I received a very nice 7 paragraph response from US Senator Patty Murray (D-Washington) regarding my support for Transportation Enhancements in the current Transporation spending bill.

Unfortunately she doesn't address any of the issues regarding Transportation Enhancement funding to protect bicycle safety and improvement spending.

I guess one form letter deserves another. If you're interested, here's the response:

“Thank
you for contacting me about transportation funding and projects in Washington 
state. I appreciate hearing from you on this important topic.

“Commuters,
businesses and families require a comprehensive transportation net and provides movement
of people and goods. As the Chair of the Transportation Appropriations
Subcommittee in the Senate,
I work hard each year to ensure that the U.S. Department of Transportation has
the resources necessary to make key investments to modernize
our transportation infrastructure. I
have helped to direct funding to maintain and improve the interstate highway system, modernize airports,
expand public transit in urban and rural areas, and invest in transportation research and safety programs.

“In
2005, Congress passed the Safe, Accountable, Flexible and Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy
for Users (SAFETEA-LU) authorizing federal funding for highways, highway safety, bus and rail transit,
and other transportation projects through fiscal year 2009.  This authorization has been extended seven
times since 2009. The
current extension will expire in September. The reauthorization bill is critically important
to the work I do each year in writing the nation's transportation budget. I am working with my congressional
colleagues to draft a surface transportation reauthorization this year so we can continue to invest in
our infrastructure.

“On
February 14, 2011, President Obama proposed a budget that included a six year, $556 billion dollar
proposal for a surface transportation reauthorization. Under
this plan, the President proposed
large funding increases for highway, transit and rail programs, all paid for
by
the Highway Trust Fund. As
part of this reauthorization plan, the President proposes to reorganize and simplify the federal
highway program. The President put
a high priority on programs
that would enhance community livability and hold grantees responsible for meeting performance.
However, the
President
did not offer any way to raise enough revenue to cover the cost of this spending.

“Both
Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Chairman of the Senate Environment
and Public Works Committee and Representative John Mica (R-FL),
Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee drafted
proposals for a surface transportation reauthorization. While
I do not sit on the authorizing committees that will be responsible for crafting a new bill, I will be
actively involved in working with leaders from these committees to ensure the bill establishes policies
that will help meet the needs of our transportation system here in Washington state and across the country.

“These
investments will move our transportation system forward sustainably and efficiently, and continue to
provide jobs and economic opportunity for communities large and small.

“As
the 112th
Congress continues, I will continue to work with my Senate colleagues and the Obama Administration to
make prudent transportation investments and get our economy back on stable ground. If
you would like to know more about my work in the Senate, feel free to sign up for my
updates at http://murray.senate.gov/updates. Thank
you again for sharing your views with me, and please do not hesitate to contact me in the future.” 

A reader who is relocating to Pennsylvania, received a similar non-response response from Sen. Pat Toomey, except this one included a dig at President Obama. Does anyone read the emails we send?

“Thank you for contacting me about transportation funding. I appreciate hearing from you.

“If
done in a sensible manner, transportation infrastructure investments
can be important for economic growth and ensure that we travel safely
and efficiently. A number of Americans have expressed concern about the
state of our transportation infrastructure, and I therefore understand
your support for federal funding for this issue.

“That
said, our nation is facing a $1.5 trillion deficit for the current
fiscal year, and the President's latest budget proposal continues this
unsustainable path for years to come. All areas of government spending
must be carefully examined so that we can put our nation on a path
toward fiscal solvency. Inevitably, tough choices will have to be made,
and making such choices is something that I have promised to the people
of Pennsylvania.

“You
may also be interested to know that the Senate passed and President
Obama signed into law the Surface Transportation Extension Act of 2011
(Public Law 112-5) on March 4, 2011. Among its provisions, this new law
extends the authority of the Highway Trust Fund for various
transportation programs pending the enactment of a longer-term
transportation reauthorization. Please be assured that I will keep your
views about transportation funding in mind as work continues on the
Fiscal Year 2012 budget process and a transportation reauthorization
bill.

“Thank you again for your correspondence. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future if I can be of assistance.”

Just to keep things real, Democratic Washington Senator Maria Cantwell finally chimed in on Friday. While she responded about the Transportation bill, she didn't mention the enhancements or my request for support for bicycle and pedestrian programs in the Transportation Enhancements section.

“Thank
you for contacting me regarding surface transportation reauthorization. 
I appreciate hearing from you on this important issue, and regret the delayed response. 

Washington
State faces numerous surface transportation challenges. We need preserve and renew our existing surface
transportation infrastructure, improve freight mobility, increase transit opportunities for commuters
statewide, update the nation's largest commuter ferry system, replace bridges that have surpassed their
usable lifespan, and make numerous upgrades to enhance safety for motorists. In addition to adding capacity
to our road systems, we must enhance the transportation choices for commuters where that is feasible.
We must also improve traffic systems using new technologies that help achieve greater efficiency and
allow us to yield more capacity from the systems that we already have.

As
you may know, Congress reauthorizes Federal surface transportation programs every few years. This reauthorization
sets funding levels for a variety of surface transportation programs including new highway construction,
infrastructure repairs, public transit projects, high-speed passenger rail programs, and many others.
The most recent reauthorization, the Safe,
Accountable, Flexible, Efficient 
Transportation Equity Act: a Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) was passed in 2005 and expired in September
of 2009. However, Congress passed a series of short-term extensions of the reauthorization, with the
most recent extension lasting through September
2011. 

On
September 12, 2011, Representative John Mica (R-FL) introduced the Surface and Air Transportation Programs
Extension Act (H.R. 2887). This legislation extends the provisions of SAFETEA-LU through March 31, 2012
and the provisions of the current Federal Aviation Administration authorization through January 31, 2012.
This legislation was approved by the House by voice vote on September 13, 2011 and approved by the Senate
on September 15, 2011 by a vote of 92-6.  You may be pleased to learn I voted in favor of this legislation.

Thank
you again for contacting me to share your thoughts on this matter. You may also be interested in signing
up for periodic updates for Washington State residents. If you are interested in subscribing to this
update, please visit my website at http://cantwell.senate.gov.
Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future if I can be of further assistance.