Download ISTEA: Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act - A Policy & Planning Game Changer and more Study notes Public Policy in PDF only on Docsity! 1 TTP220 Transportation Policy and Planning ISTEA – A “Sea Change” What was intended change? What was actual change? Why did it happen? - Organized counterbalance to traditional highway lobby! o e.g. APA, AIA, 1000 Friends, bike and ped groups o key was STPP coalition - Result… o Highways and transit treated more equally, wrt planning, matching $ o Opportunity for “multimodal” or “intermodal” strategies o Better planning before money spent… Key changes: More in a minute… - Funding amounts, categories, flexibility - Planning requirements What difference did it make? “It’s like turning an ocean liner” 1. Change the process – slow because of implementation issues 2. Change the projects – slow because of projects in the “pipeline”… 3. Change travel patterns… 4. Improve environment, communities… **“ISTEA was an opportunity” – change only if we take advantage of it Funding More control to MPOs - Established TMAs vs. small MPOs - Some funding directly to TMAs (see below) Funding Categories: - reflect federal priorities - determine what kinds of projects Old way : by facility - different classifications of highways (Interstate, FAP, FAS, FAU) New way: by purpose - flexibility to spend across modes, spend on new kinds of projects - Surface Transportation Program (STP) - $32.6 billion in SAFETEA-LU o Given directly to TMAs (i.e. large MPOs) o Fund eligible for non-highway: bike transit pedestrian 2 If non-attainment – 100% of STP Otherwise – 75% of STP o Transportation Enhancements – 10% set aside e.g. bike/ped safety education, scenic of historic highway programs, environmental mitigation, transportation museums, etc. - Congestion Mitigation Air Quality (CMAQ) program - $8.6 billion o Given to states with non-attainment areas, directly to MPOs o Apportioned based on population and severity of AQ problem o Projects must… contribute to AQ attainment control VMT/capita o e.g. bicycle coordinator, traffic signal coordination - Transit - $billion o Given to transit agencies o Capital grants (Section 3) – discretionary (40% “new starts,” 40% rail modernization, 20% bus) $8.2 billion for 6 years for new starts, vs. 191 projects in TEA-21… o Formula grants (Section 9) – for capital or operations - National Highway System (NHS) - $30.5 billion o Defined by 11/95 law – 160,000 miles o Single system with economic focus o Flexibility to spend NHS $ on transit, bike/peds – IF it improves NHS performance - “High Priority Projects” or “demonstration projects” (or “earmarks” or “pork) o 500 projects for $6.5 billion in ISTEA o 1850 projects for $9.4 billion in TEA-21 o 6373 projects in SAFETEA-LU for $24.2 billion in SAFETEA-LU (see http://www.taxpayer.net/Transportation/safetealu/states.htm) - Other highway o Interstate Maintenance - $25.2 billion in SAFETEA-LU o Bridge – repair and replace - $21.6 billion o “Other” Appalachian Development Highway System (TEA-21?) Federal Lands Highways Program Recreational Trails Program (TEA-21?) - Highway Safety - - Misc. Programs – including University Transportation Centers program First Reauthorization debate: “Devolution”: - Donor vs. donee states - Proposals to scrap the federal program and leave it up to the states (AASHTO)
