Press Releases and Newsletters
Jim Humphrey’s (CDOT) notes from the May 5-6 BOT meeting.
Jim Humphrey’s (CDOT) notes from the May 5-6 BOT meeting.
One change for the meeting….an ethics statement is read and all members are required to sign a sheet of paper indicating they will abide by the ethics policy.
Secretary’s Comments-Conti passed out a rail program pamphlet that will be produced periodically. Mentioned opening of I-40, award of Phase I of Yadkin River bridge (HDR, a Charlotte firm is member of team), Turnpike Authority awarded contract for electronic toll collection (upon question was stated NCTA still considering use of cash toll stations at request of companies who may finance and operate), Paul Worley of Rail Division won national award….
The Built Environment-2 gentlemen spoke on how infrastructure, particularly sidewalks and bike facilities, can help with physical well being. Lots of good statistics and info on how NC is doing (low…not well). Interesting, the Complete Streets Policy which the BOT approved in July 2009 was a highlight as great improvement initiative.
Legislative Agenda-Johanna Reese spoke of the Mobility Fund in the Governor’s budget as well as about the 3 bills you already have heard about. Regarding the Mobility Fund, Mark Foster indicated the funds may be used for some non DOT traditional items….I think he meant some web and information technology related investments to assist logistics or ED (he mentioned in other meetings I attended that DOT is developing a list of the types of things these funds may be used on, so this should help clarify). Hearing a paragraph has been added to legislation that ensures an inclusive process, with cities and MPOs among others, to develop criteria for funding. Regarding the three bills, Johanna specifically stated that one bill would remove language so that the NCDOT could consider local funding assistance in project funding decisions.
Logistics Task Force-Roberto Canales presented info on the history and work program. A report was developed previously that indicated the types of things NC should do to improve logistics/freight movement. Roberto described that report as a plan calling for more planning. The task force has the general job of “creating new jobs and recruiting industry thro the movement of goods and information” (his description) and is undertaking the planning mentioned previously.
Initiatives for Historically Under Utilized Businesses-Several NCDOT speakers presented info on their efforts to attract and utilize minority and other business.
Financial Update-Mark Foster indicated they are seeing some positive turnaround in revenues. He described the Governor’s transportation budget recommendations which included $52m more for the Highway Fund (primary use was putting back in Driver Education dollars removed previously) and $80m+ in Highway Trust Fund (Mobility Fund). Mark also spoke of a new financial system for large MPOs which helps them better manage federal dollars designated for their projects (CMAQ and STP primarily). My impression is that the system is already in use by MPOs. It would seem to help folks keep track of projects, including phased projects…understand how much money is unspent….and when certain money most be spent. Apparently some problems existed during the recent rescission that demonstrated MPOs need such a system.
Eco Enhancement Program-Bill Gilmore outlined the programs which performs wetland and stream restoration “off site” that may be called for as part of NCDOT projects. He also went over the proposed budget which the board will be asked to approve next month.
Cash Management Model Demo-Postponed until next month.
DMV Revenue Shortfall-The head of DMV spoke of decreases in revenues caused by the slow economy and concern over the increase in expired licenses….which is not only a financial concern to NCDOT, but also a concern that these vehicles may lack liability insurance. He did not present any solution.
Turnpike Authority-David Joyner presented a status report regarding all projects. He called the Monroe Connector the “most viable toll project in the state”. They are pursuing federal TIFIA funding but have produced financial models with and without these dollars. He stated construction would start in early 2011 and it would be open to traffic in 2014/2015. David stated challenges to the NCTA include rising interest rates, recessionary impact on growth and revenue forecast, securing funding in lieu of federal TIFIA loans and securing gap funds for unfunded designated toll projects.
Jim Humphrey
NC General Assembly Budget Calendar
Below is a link to a calendar released today at the Senate Appropriations JPS Subcommittee meeting which outlines the timetable and dates for the budget process.
Senate Justice and Public Safety Subcommittee Budget Meeting 5.6.10
I attended the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Justice and Public Safety today where they heard a review of the Governor’s Budget adjustments, the agency response, and the Senate Target and Subcommittee 5% Reduction Option List.
The Senate Appropriations Chairs have given the Appropriations Subcommittees rules for budget process including a rule that the subcommittees not include any requests for expansion items at the time, but for very limited circumstances which center on job creation outside state government.
The 5% reduction target equates to a $109 million cut from the certified JPS budget. This represents a $47 million cut from the Governor’s proposed budget.
The Senate options list includes some of the Governor’s suggested cuts as well as many other cuts. Generally the cuts include eliminating positions that have been vacant six months or longer, equipment reductions, and administrative budget reductions. Specifically, for the Court System, the cuts include eliminating vacant positions in the central administration offices, changing the ratio of Assistant District Attorneys to support staff from 1.5:1 to 2.5:1, reductions in technology programs, reductions in funding for the District Attorney’s conference, the elimination of vacant district attorney and clerk positions, and a 5% reduction to administration. Overall the Senate JPS subcommittee is considering $19 million in cuts to the Courts total budget of $464 million.
The Administrative Office of the Courts has completed workload studies where they have validated that local courts are short more than 1,000 personnel. The AOC has indentified more than $20 million in potential new revenue from new and expanded fees, but none were included in the Governor’s budget and were not discussed at the Senate subcommittee today.
In a letter from Judge John Smith, AOC Director, he notes that the courts have reverted more than $26 million in the past fiscal year. Judge Smith notes that these reversions have required the Courts to maintain a historically high number of vacancies in ADA, deputy clerk, magistrate, and other court field staff. The Governor’s budget staff asked each agency for cuts at the 3,5, and 7 percent level and Judge Smith’s letter indicated that they had none to offer, but did submit an expansion request for $75.2 million for 1,059 new positions based on the aforementioned workload study.
3 legislators propose $1 fee on interstates at borders (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
3 legislators propose $1 fee on interstates at borders (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
HARRISBURG — Gov. Ed Rendell has challenged state legislators to come up with ideas for solving the state’s $472 million transportation funding problem.
So three Democratic legislators, one from the Pittsburgh area, one from Philadelphia and one from State College, have come up with an idea that they claim could raise at least half the money that’s needed.
Reps. Bill Kortz of Dravosburg, Michael O’Brien of Philadelphia and Scott Conklin of Centre County have proposed putting new tolls — $1 for a passenger vehicle and $5 for trucks — on interstate highways, at the points where the roads enter and leave Pennsylvania.
If legislation is approved at the special session of the Legislature, new entry/exit tolls would be placed on I-79 in western Pennsylvania, I-90 in northwestern Pennsylvania, I-80 across the northern part of the state, I-81 in central Pennsylvania, I-95 in the Philly area, and on I-78 and I-84 in eastern Pennsylvania.
Mr. Conklin said tolls are user fees paid by people who drive on — and cause wear and tear on — the highways, and he thought it was fair for such motorists to pay what he called modest tolls. He also said that much of the toll money would come from out-of-state drivers passing through Pennsylvania and using state roads, which only state residents now pay to maintain.
All the money raised by these entry/exit tolls would be used for upkeep of that particular road, and thus avoid an objection that federal officials had to the previous tolls proposed just for I-80.
Mr. Conklin estimated “conservatively” that between $235 million and $300 million a year could be raised by such entry/exit tolls. For Pennsylvanians who live near a state border — and thus might travel through the tolls often — books of tickets, at a reduced price, could be bought, similar to tickets now available for people who frequently cross bridges from Philly to New Jersey, Mr. O’Brien said.
The toll booths would have human toll collectors — who would work for PennDOT, not the Turnpike Commission — and also would have metal “baskets” that drivers could drop cash or coins into. The toll “gantries” also would handle cars with EZ-Pass, and also may be equipped with video cameras to take pictures of vehicles’ license plates as they go through, and a bill would be sent to a motorist’s home.
Tom Barnes: [email protected] or 717-787-4254.
Wednesday, May 05, 2010
By Tom Barnes,
Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10125/1055731-100.stm#ixzz0nB15QvTe
Highway Bill Delay Seen Stretching into 2011 (The Journal Of Commerce)
Highway Bill Delay Seen Stretching into 2011 (The Journal Of Commerce)
New multi-year bill may not pass until spring, Rep. Mica warns
It may be 2011 before Congress passes a surface transportation bill, says Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., ranking Republican on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
“I think we’re looking at spring, though I haven’t given up” on December, Mica told transportation attorneys at Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott yesterday.
Debate over how to fund a bill that is likely to cost $500 billion has stalled progress on legislation in the House and Senate as both parties in Congress and the White House wrestle over the direction of federal transportation policy. An agreement is seen as unlikely before the November election.
The chances that Congress will pass a Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill this year are “50/50,” Mica said. When an FAA bill does pass, “The FedEx provision” changing that company’s status under labor law “will not be in a final bill,” he said.
“We need the funding in place to keep aviation moving forward,” Mica said. “We need a comprehensive plan” for aviation, he said, that includes high-speed passenger rail connections at U.S. airports.
Contact William B. Cassidy at [email protected]
William B. Cassidy | May 5, 2010 11:50AM GMT
Budget reform panel recommends tightening control on liquor boards (News and Observer)
Budget reform panel recommends tightening control on liquor boards (News and Observer)
Gov. Bev Perdue’s budget reform commission on Wednesday recommended tightening the state control and regulation on local liquor stores.
The panel voted to send Perdue a set of proposals that would make major shifts in how Alcoholic Beverage Control Boards operate, Mark Johnson reports. The initiatives, though, will have to be meshed with similar legislation that lawmakers took up at a committee meeting 30 minutes after the budget commission’s vote.
“It’ll put the focus on efficiency and ethics for the local boards,” said state ABC Chair Jon Williams after the vote.
The dual-track push for reform grew out of embarrassing revelations about ABC board spending and salaries in Charlotte and Wilmington respectively.
The budget commission’s recommendations included:
— Giving the state ABC Commission the authority to audit local boards and close underperforming stores.
— Establishing a mission and performance standards for liquor stores.
— Limiting the compensation of ABC board members and store operators.
— Subjecting local ABC board members to the state ethics act.
Submitted by bniolet on 2010-05-05 14:15
Hundreds say now is time to invest in Michigan roads (Detroit Free Press)
Hundreds say now is time to invest in Michigan roads (Detroit Free Press)
Rally promotes reforming transportation funding
Hundreds of skilled trades workers, road industry groups and local government officials gathered at the Capitol this morning to rally the Legislature to overhaul transportation funding in Michigan as the state faces a huge drop in funding starting in 2011.
“It’s not going to get any better, folks,” John Niemela, director of the County Road Association of Michigan, said during a news conference at the rotunda in the Capitol, where several hundred people met before heading to speak individually with state lawmakers.
The groups, which presented 5,000 signatures to state House Speaker Pro-Tem Pam Byrnes, D-Lyndon Township, are advocating for major reform of Michigan’s road funding system. It would include raising fuel taxes and vehicle registration fees as well as looking at tolling and government partnerships with the private sector.
They contend the state’s roads and transit systems are woefully underfunded, endangering infrastructure and jobs. Revenues from gas taxes and vehicle registration fees have fallen steadily in recent years, and the Michigan Department of Transportation is warning of an $84-million shortfall in money the state needs as a required match for about $500 million in federal funding in 2011 alone.
If the state doesn’t raise the match, the federal money would go to other states.
“This is not acceptable to me as a taxpayer – it should not be acceptable to you,” said Casey Dutmer of Wyoming in west Michigan, a retiree who uses public transit in the Grand Rapids area and attended the rally.
Supporters came from across the state. They included John Hunt, a road commissioner in the Thumb’s Huron County, who said Michigan needs to raise money to improve its roads, noting that the state has plywood attached to the bottom of freeway overpasses across metro Detroit to prevent crumbling pavement from falling on traffic below.
“It is going south fast,” said Hunt, owner of the J.W. Hunt trucking company in Bad Axe.
Saline Mayor Gretchen Driskell said it’s time to act.
“We don’t have enough money to take care of our transportation system – it’s very simple,” Driskell said. “I’m here as a local mayor because I’m fed up with talking about it. This is an investment in our future.”
Byrnes said many lawmakers are reluctant to consider raising taxes in a dismal economy and an election year. She acknowledged prospects for a major transportation funding increase faces an uphill battle.
Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop, R-Rochester, said lawmakers are instead focusing on finding savings in the state’s transportation system and applying that money to the shortfall in matching funds.
“We could talk about a tax increase forever,” Bishop said. “There are not sufficient votes in this Legislature for that now.”
BY MATT HELMS
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER
Contact MATT HELMS: [email protected]. Staff writer Chris Christoff contributed to this report.
Posted: 6:08 a.m. May 4, 2010 | Updated: 1 p.m. May 4, 2010
Logistics Taskforce
Perdue wants to get state moving (News and Observer)
Gov. Bev Perdue’s topic Tuesday was like the 1987 movie: “Planes, Trains and Automobiles” — or how to move people and goods around more efficiently.
So the governor showed up at a football field-size warehouse near Raleigh-Durham Airport, to sign an executive order creating The Governor’s Logistics Task Force, Rob Christensen reports.
The task force is a 27-member group, headed by Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton that will look at ways to make the highways, airports, sea ports and rail facilities work together more efficiently.
The governor didn’t outline how she planned to do this since there is little extra money in the state coffers for new spending. But both Perdue and Dalton said that despite North Carolina’s reputation for being a business-friendly state, it must continually look for ways to create more jobs and make the state more attractive for industry.
Perdue said most businesses that she recruits want to know about airports and highways.
The announcement was made at the Raleigh headquarters of Longistics, a shipping and warehousing company where Perdue watched Slim Jims being packaged.
Submitted by bniolet on 2009-12-08 16:32
Official: $3 billion needed for Pennsylvania roads (Pittsburgh Tribune Review)
Official: $3 billion needed for Pennsylvania roads (Pittsburgh Tribune Review)
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania has 7,000 miles of roads in “poor” condition, 5,600 “structurally deficient” bridges and insufficient financial resources to fix them, state Transportation Secretary Allen Biehler said yesterday.
“It is just not acceptable,” Biehler told the House Republican Policy Committee.
Yet, the portion of the 40,000 miles of state highways in poor condition is down from 11,000 in 2002, Biehler said. And through the state’s $1 billion “accelerated bridge program” and $400 million in federal stimulus spending last year, PennDOT reduced the number of structurally deficient bridges for the first time in a decade.
Repair and replacement work needed is expected to hit $3 billion, up from $1.6 billion in 2005-06.
Gov. Ed Rendell wants a collective approach from the Legislature heading into a May 3 special session. The federal government recently rejected Pennsylvania’s plan to put tolls on Interstate 80, creating a $470 million hole in the transportation budget.
Rendell said yesterday he plans to speak with state House and Senate leaders this week about transportation funding.
“The only thing that’s not an option is doing nothing,” he said yesterday in Pittsburgh.
Rep. Brad Roae, R-Crawford County, asked Biehler about increasing transit fares across the state, to cover most of the $800 million spent annually for roads and bridges. If a $2 fare increased to $4, it still would be cheaper than owning and operating a car, he said.
But, Biehler cautioned: “Some riders won’t have the means to pay double fares, and that would put more pressure on our roads.”
Port Authority of Allegheny County estimated it lost about 5 percent of its riders in the first three months of 2008 after a 25-cent fare increase and 15 percent service reduction.
David Zazworsky, special consultant to the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, recommended raising the cap on the state’s oil company franchise tax, because wholesalers primarily would pay.
James Runk, president of the Pennsylvania Motor Trucking Association, agreed that a gas tax, wholesale tax or motor registration fee increase would be “fair” way to raise money. “We need everybody in Pennsylvania to pony up and pay their fair share,” he said.
Several agencies and interest groups that rely on Act 44, the state’s 2007 transportation funding bill, said the source of its funding isn’t as important as its size and sustainability.
“Predictability is key,” said Port Authority CEO Steve Bland.
“The first thing to do is to change the standard operating procedure, because there’s a lot of waste in it,” said Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission Chairman Charlie Camp, a Beaver County commissioner. “Everything requires a lot of review because everything is over-designed, over-built.”
By Brad Bumsted and Matthew Santoni
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
U.S. DOT Releases Guide to Programs That Promote Sustainable Communities (AASHTO)
U.S. DOT Releases Guide to Programs That Promote Sustainable Communities (AASHTO)
The U.S. Department of Transportation issued a reference guide this week that identifies resources for promoting livable and sustainable communities.
U.S. DOT released the guide in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The document, “Leveraging the Partnership: DOT, HUD, & EPA Programs for Sustainable Communities,” summarizes the various federal programs available and how to get more information on each.
While not intended as a list of all U.S. DOT, HUD, and EPA funding and technical assistance programs, the document does include those activities and initiatives that are connected to the principles of the Partnership for Sustainable Communities. That partnership was formed by the three agencies in June 2009 to address environmental protection, equitable development, and climate change. The partnership also seeks to help Americans gain better access to more transportation options, lower travel costs, and affordable housing.
The document highlights each agency’s commitment and contributions to meeting those shared goals.
“DOT will work to promote livable communities and enhance the economic and social well-being of all Americans by creating and maintaining a safe, reliable, integrated, and accessible transportation network,” according to the reference guide. “A multimodal transportation system increases choice, provides easy access to employment opportunities and other destinations, and improves the surrounding community.”
The transportation section of the document profiles various funding opportunities available for livable community projects through the Federal Transit Administration and Federal Highway Administration. Examples include the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery grant program; Metropolitan & Statewide Planning Formula grant; Rural & Small Urban Area Formula grants; programs serving populations such as the elderly, disabled persons, and low-income workers who face particular challenges involving access to critical services; National Scenic Byways Program; and Congestion Mitigation & Air Quality Program.
The 16-page U.S. DOT/HUD/EPA document is available at tinyurl.com/dot-hud-epa-report.
AASHTO released a report last week urging inclusion of roads in U.S. DOT’s livability program. The 18-page report is available at tinyurl.com/AASHTO-livability. (see April 23 AASHTO Journal story)
