Your state’s incomplete highway projects may have just received a boost with the passage of HR 6532 last week. The House passed an $8 billion deposit of funds into the Highway Trust Fund by a 376-29 vote with President Bush likely to sign the bill immediately. While some Republicans have criticized the bill for applying a one-size-fits-all solution to highway projects, legislators on both sides of the aisle were interested in keeping commuters happy in an election year.
HR 6532 will help the Federal Highway Administration (FHA) maintain greater control over funding disbursements to the states. The FHA will be restricted to one payment each week instead of two payments per day from the fund for states requesting project funds. Federal administrators will be able to weigh each funding request individually based on fund availability throughout the year.
These changes will mean that budget-strapped states will need to be more economical when funding highway projects. Deposits of $250 million per day in the past will be replaced by maximum payments of $277 million per week under HR 6532. This limitation on weekly fund transfers means that states might be on the hook for millions of dollars in unfinished construction projects.
The Department of Transportation explained the rapid depletion of highway funds when Secretary Mary Peters responded to the passage of the resolution. Peters cited a reduction in fuel taxes across the country as drivers opted to stay closer to home during the summer. This reduction in vehicle usage led to quicker debits from the Highway Trust Fund, which left highway projects in limbo.
The fact that Republicans and Democrats were so willing to fast track this legislation shows the pitched nature of American politics in 2008. What does this legislation mean for alternative fuel and infrastructure plans? The simple answer is that Congress is showing its decades-old addiction to the federal highway system. Our legislators lack the creativity and the will to think outside of the four-lane highways that have become so familiar throughout the United States.
The rush to fund highway boondoggles from Alaska to Florida should not surprise us; it should disappoint us. We should all expect our legislators to keep one foot in the present with limited highway funding while socking away money for America’s transportation future. We should also expect our state legislatures to be more thoughtful when funding massive projects that sacrifice the future of transportation for the present.
