As we have just elected a new president many people are talking about what he should do first.
Well one of our most important infrastructure funding bills hits the end of its cycle early next year.
The six-year Transportation Authorization bill is the statute which determines the allocation of at least 600 billion dollars federal transportation funds.
These funds make up a vast majority of capital for state roads and transit.
A few big issues are up for debate in the new bill.
One of the biggest is to focus more development on creating transit systems vs.
putting a majority of the funds into new highway construction.
Having transit options in populated areas will lessen our dependence on oil, reduce greenhouse gases, and relieve congestion.
Another major issue is that the funding base for transportation is upside down.
The fund gets its money from gasoline taxes.
The problem is that the recent gas crisis has decreased demand.
This means that people started driving less thus spending less in gas taxes.
At the same time the demand for transit has never been higher.
So transportation planners are stuck with a situation in which they need more money to improve transit options to meet demand while the funds have never been lower.
The point is we are at a moment were a new administration could do something to change the path were on.
I call this the sexy issue because it's not exciting at all.
Most people don't think about transportation issues.
The fact is most of us couldn't conceive of any other modes of transportation other than cars and Highways.
It should be recognized that nothing is inevitable and we can choose what kind of country we want.
I vote for commuter trains, I am tired of sitting in traffic every single day.