The
Good, the Bad and the Irritating about
the Administration's Reauthorization Bill
An analysis by America Bikes
On
May 14, the Bush Administration introduced their
reauthorization bill called the "Safe, Accountable,
Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity
Act of 2003 (SAFETEA)." The federal transportation
law, known as TEA-21, is up for reauthorization
by Congress this year. The administration proposes
$247 billion over 6 years, a very slight increase
over TEA-21 levels.
The
good news is that it maintains the existing structure
and programs, including Transportation Enhancements,
but it does little positive for bicycles or pedestrians
and no Safe Routes to School, no better design
of roadways. We ask "SAFETEA for whom?"
And it attacks railbanking.
The
Administration's SAFETEA bill supports the America
Bikes agenda in the following areas:
-
Retains
the Enhancements program with no new categories
or transferability. It also retains other key
programs: Congestion Mitigation Air Quality
(CMAQ), Scenic Byways, and Recreational Trails;
-
Maintains
broad eligibility of bicycles and pedestrian
projects in major funding categories;
-
Continues
funding for a bicycle/pedestrian information
clearinghouse; and
-
Adds
bicycling and pedestrian groups to the list
of interested parties commenting on state and
Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) transportation
plans.
However,
the bill takes several steps backwards:
-
No
increase in CMAQ funding, despite a doubling
of non-attainment areas. Adds various road-expanding
categories. (sec. 1601 & 1701);
-
Funding
for Transportation Enhancements is cut by nearly
15% as funding for the Surface Transportation
Program is reduced;
-
Eliminates
the metropolitan Transportation Improvement
Plan (sec. 1501). This fiscally constrained
plan increases fiscal responsibility and provides
a forum for significant public input.
-
Provisions
to weaken 4(f) protections may imperil public
park and recreation lands and wildlife refuges
(sec. 1604). These lands provide important recreational
opportunities for bicyclists and pedestrians.
-
A
new provision attacks railbanking by requiring
state to indemnify the federal government in
case of any "takings" claims on railbanked
corridors. (sec. 1617). Few states will accept
this burden.
Adds several unfortunate provisions to the Recreational
Trails program: (sec. 1606)
1) Mandates a motorized/non-motorized split
on state trail committees
declares that these committees "must be
used to develop statewide trail program policy";
2) Requires that 10% of Recreational Trails
funding be used on Youth Corp projects;
3) Removes the ability for a state to apply
for a waiver from the funding split (30% motorized,
30% non-motorized, 40% either); and
4) Increases the funding from $50 million to
$60 million a year, far short of the $143 million
requested by the Coalition for Recreational
Trails.
SAFETEA
misses several important opportunities:
-
SAFETEA
includes no mention of Safe Routes to School,
despite increasing concerns about childhood
obesity and inactivity.
-
Despite
the name, SAFETEA and an increase in safety
funding, the bill merely rearranges existing
safety titles to form a new Program (sec. 1402).
-
It
adds no new policy or provisions to increase
the safety of bicycling and walking, despite
those modes accounting for 13.4% of fatalities
on our roads.
-
The
"National Blue Ribbon Commission"
on highway safety is not directed to consider
bicycle and pedestrian crashes.
-
Does
not include "routine accommodation"
language, ignoring the FHWA guidance in 2000
which directs states accommodate bicyclists
and pedestrians in new highway projects and
reconstructions.
Does not include bicycling and walking in new
safety program of federal lands highway program.
(sec. 1804)
-
Does
not add bicycles to the commuter tax benefit.
Read
the actual language or the analysis of the bill
from the U.S. Department of Transportation at
www.fhwa.dot.gov/reauthorization/safetea.htm.
America
Bikes is a national coalition of groups asking
Congress to enact a federal transportation law
to ensure that new and existing transportation
investments improve conditions for bicycling and
walking. For more information, visit www.americabikes.org.
The
Texas Bicycle Coalition is part of the America
Bikes coalition, which is calling for an increased
federal commitment to using transportation dollars
to create a bike-friendly transportation system.
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All contents © 2003
Texas Bicycle Coalition
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