Going Nowhere The breakdown of US Transportation Policy Transportation reauthorization caught in political gridlock Republicans seek elimination of funding for mass transit
Congress sets the country’s transportation and infrastructure priorities every six years by passing a reauthorization bill for federal programs. The current legislation expires on March 31, and at this writing, it was unclear if Congress would let federal funding grind to a halt or pass a reauthorization bill. This legislation has traditionally been developed on a bipartisan basis, and ever since Ronald Reagan was president, it has involved a balance of funding for highways as well as mass transit. While other countries have moved aggressively in recent years to upgrade and modernize their transportation systems, the U.S. has been stuck in the mud. The last comprehensive transportation authorization bill expired on September 30, 2009. We have limped along with short-term, stopgap legislation since then. This article looks at what is at stake in the debate over long-term transportation reauthorization legislation.
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Sustainable Communities • WINTER 2012