Cong. Sabo calls for funding transportation with user fees, not general funds

Congressman Boehlert calls for fundamental reform and integrating energy and environmental concerns into transportation investment decisions

The press conference has started and Senator Mark Warner is also here, due to speak in a few minutes

Our new website is up and running this morning, check it out at www.bpcntpp.org!

We will attempt to mobile blog our launch event tomorrow, so check the site to stay up to date as the day unfolds!

NTPP Launches Its Report - June 9th!

The Bipartisan Policy Center and its
National Transportation Policy Project
invite you to the launch of its report

Performance Driven:
A New Vision for U.S. Transportation Policy


Press Conference at 9:00 AM featuring NTPP Co-Chairs
Dennis Archer, Former Mayor of Detroit
Sherwood Boehlert, Former U.S. Congressman from New York
Slade Gorton, Former U.S. Senator from Washington
Martin Sabo, Former U.S. Congressman from Minnesota

Keynote Address at 9:20 AM
The Honorable Mark Warner, U.S. Senator from Virginia

Panel Discussion at 10:30AM
The Honorable Thomas Petri, U.S. Congressman from Wisconsin
Tyler Duvall, McKinsey & Co.; Former Asst. Secretary for Policy at U.S. DOT
Douglas Holtz-Eakin, DHE Consulting; Former Director of CBO
Nancy Kete, Director of the WRI's Center for Sustainable Transport
Robert Puentes, Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution

Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Breakfast Available

Washington Court Hotel
Atrium Ballroom
525 New Jersey Ave, NW
Washington, DC

RSVP to ehawkes@bipartisanpolicy.org or 202-204-2399

Current Energy Legislation has Transportation Components

The American Clean Energy and Security Act (H.R. 2454) recently approved by the Energy and Commerce Committee has many members of the transportation community up in arms. BNA’s Transportation Watch reported on Monday that many stakeholders are fighting the bill’s proposal to require states to submit greenhouse gas reduction plans, including transportation planning options, to the EPA. Industry groups fear that the bill could “end up hurting transportation quality and efficiency in the name of environmental protection.” Their particular concern is that EPA does not have the DOT’s experience in transportation, which could lead to unnecessary delays in approval of transportation projects. Moreover, critics say, the bill would corrupt efforts made in the last transportation authorization to consolidate transportation policy decisions within the DOT.

Yet the general idea of closely tying energy and climate concerns with transportation planning is sound, and solutions for these challenges can also benefit the economy. While the EPA does lack experience in transportation, it is also fair to say that transportation policy to date has not comprehensively focused on reducing transport-sector emissions. In coming months we will see the development of major energy and transportation legislation, presenting the opportunity to integrate energy and climate concerns with transportation investment decisions. Indeed, these challenges are so intertwined that only by addressing all of them in a coordinated fashion can any of them be solved.

This recent piece of energy legislation is not a comprehensive plan to combat the transport-sector’s contribution to greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. However, as concern over climate change escalates and the current economic recession demands increased efficiency in addressing the nation’s problems, now is the time for transportation and environmental leaders to unite. As both energy and transportation legislation move forward, an open mind must be kept toward integrating these vital issues whenever, and in whatever form, the opportunity arises.

-Sarah Fletcher, Daniel Lewis