In This Issue

	Phoenix Leaders Consider Mass Transit
	511 Gains Popularity
	Indiana Legislators File Bill to Eliminate Gas Tax
	Group pushing for Higher Gas Tax in Michigan
	Tunnel May Stop Wider I-64
	Safety Corridor Lives Up to its Name
	Road Plan Could be Stalled In Election Year Politicking
	Pa. Turnpike Commission Offers Alternative to Privatization
	Easing Traffic Congestion
	Selling Toll Roads can be Difficult

Phoenix Leaders Consider Mass Transit

PHOENIX - State leaders in the Phoenix metropolitan area have multiple options on the table as they consider how to prepare for millions of additional cars to clog major arteries and cloud the sky with pollution during the next 20 years. Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano approved an executive order last week for the Arizona Department of Transportation to study mass transit options for the area.

The study has the mayors of Phoenix and Tucson, and some lawmakers buzzing about the possibility of commuter rail connecting the two cities. In view of the governor's order ADOT plans to update a 1998 train study within 90 days. However, even if the plans and the major funding were to pan out, it would likely still be years before the project would be functional.

"We already have the need to expand I-10 to (six) full lanes between Phoenix and Tucson," said Tucson Mayor Bob Walkup. "But right behind that you're looking at what we need in the future is a way to move people between those populated areas and stay off the roads."

The 1998 rail report concluded that a commuter train would cost nearly $380 million. Legislators are already considering a proposal to spend $450 million of the state's $650 million saved for transportation emergencies. Gov. Napolitano says she would rather refinance bonds than dip into those funds to pay for construction.

511 Gains Popularity

National - Drivers across the nation are turning to their phones or the web to avoid traffic congestion by dialing, or clicking on 5-1-1. In December, Louisiana became the 28th state to execute a 511 system, and the Federal Highway Administration reports that now 36% of the nation's population has access to up-to-the-minute traffic data. By the end of 2007, 50% of the population will have access to the systems.

"We're promoting these services because they give drivers more options and help them save time avoiding traffic delays," says J. Richard Capka, the federal highway administrator. "This is one of the many tools we encourage to give frustrated motorists a break from the congested roads."

Many other technical tools have emerged in the recent years to keep drivers out of traffic jams. Some of these helpful devices include message boards posted above highways, cameras along freeways that provide real-time views of traffic conditions on websites, and HOT lanes, which allow drivers to pay a toll for a faster commute.

Motorists in central Florida, can register two phone numbers and their email address with the 511 system, and then mold the program to fit their needs. 511 gives them information on five specific routes they've pre-programmed.

The 511 program continues to expand and provide benefit to motorists around the country. Year by year the service expands. Like many transportation improvements, vision, patience and consistent investment eventually lead to completed programs and facilities. TW

Indiana Legislators File Bill to Eliminate Gas Tax

INDIANAPOLIS - House Democrats in Indiana filed a bill Tuesday to remove the six percent sales tax on gasoline, a move that, if enacted, could cause the state to lose over $300 million in lost revenue.

Rep. Dennie Oxley, D-Milltown, said that, given the high gasoline prices in recent years hitting up to $3 a gallon at times, drivers deserve a break at the pumps. He said even though prices are lower now, it is possible they could again rise significantly. House Speaker Patrick Bauer, D-South Bend, said the state should not benefit from big oil companies' price gauging.

"We can get into the debate about gouging and that is fine, but what I'm focusing on is this," Oxley added. "Gasoline is essential in our society and the sales tax is a regressive tax. It is the most regressive tax."

Two top officials in the GOP-controlled Senate said that even if the bill made it through the Democrat-ruled House, its chances of passing their chamber were slim. They said they could hardly find justification for the large price tag, provided other funding priorities and the limited amount of new tax revenue Indiana is expected to collect.

Group pushing for Higher Gas Tax in Michigan

Michigan - 19 cents tax on each gallon of gasoline bought in Michigan is not enough to take care of the roads, according to a statewide group who is looking to raise taxes and fees to raise more money for the state's roads. The group, called Drive MI, says residents need to make improving roads a higher priority.

"Our roads are falling apart," according to Drive MI Chairman Michael Nystrom. "It can't just be one silver bullet. That won't solve the problem. We've got a $2.7 billion dilemma we're going on right now."

Many roads need repaving, but municipalities don't have the money to take care of these regular maintenance responsibilities. Drive MI says that unless funding levels are raised, these roads will be left to deteriorate. The agency acknowledges it is facing a tough road ahead convincing legislators and the public that motorists should pay more for the roads they use.

Tunnel May Stop Wider I-64

Kentucky - The Federal Highway Administration has announced a major new roadblock, which may hinder any efforts to widen I-64 between the Watterson Expressway and downtown Louisville, Kentucky. The Administration has named the Cochran Hill Tunnel, which carries I-64 traffic through Cherokee Park, an "exceptionally significant" feature of the interstate system, which would protect it under federal historic preservation guidelines.

To widen I-64, highway officials would have to prove that there's no "feasible or prudent alternative" to the project, said David Waldner, director of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet's division of environmental analysis. The state faced fierce public opposition when considering widening that stretch of I-64 in recent years, and has since dropped the idea.

The Cochran Hill Tunnel, completed in 1970, is among three places in the state named on the recently published Final List of Nationally and Exceptionally Significant Features of the Federal Interstate Highway System. Sites on the list must be treated as protected historic properties.

No Wider I-64 Coalition member Leslie Barras says she believes the designation makes it nearly impossible to widen the interstate, which should provide "some peace of mind" to urban neighborhoods that have joined the coalition.

Safety Corridor Lives Up to its Name

Pennsylvania - An established safety corridor along a deadly stretch of I-81 in Pennsylvania has proven successful after only three years. There have been zero deaths in the area, which previously saw a few deaths per year between Exit 44 in Carlisle and Exit 57 in Silver Spring Township. Serious injury rates also dropped during the period. The number of crashes only decreased slightly, however, and minor and moderate injuries changed sporadically.

The I-81 safety corridor was among five designated as a pilot program in the mid-state. In January 2004, officials doubled fines in the Cumberland County zone and decreased the speed limit from 65 mph to 55 mph in the portion of the segment with the most fatalities. The corridors were chosen based upon standards set by PennDOT's Bureau of Highway Safety and Traffic Engineering for their crash frequency, physical and geometric constraints, and an existing enforcement commitment.

Department statistics show the number of speeders decreased from 2 to 10 percent over the stretch of the corridor, said PennDOT Safety Press Officer Fritzi Schreffler. The majority of drivers in the area have reduced their speed to 65 or 70 from 75 or 80, she said.

The highway patrol was an important factor in enforcing the changes, with up to three cars patrolling the area at a time, particularly during peak travel times. Troopers wrote 287 speeding citations in the first three weeks of December, and 178 other tickets for tail-gating and other unsafe driving.

Road Plan Could be Stalled In Election Year Politicking

RICHMOND - Senior Republican Legislators working to finalize a transportation spending proposal this week cautioned that a final deal must endure the election year politicking and opposition from main budget officials.

"There are a couple ways we can be successful and a thousand ways we can fail," said House Majority Leader Morgan Griffith, R-Salem. The statewide section of the proposal is expected to include higher fees for vehicle registration and driver's licenses, stiffer penalties for traffic violations, and new debt for road construction.

Democratic challengers in Northern Virginia plan to focus their campaigns on the area's unbearable traffic congestion. Republicans fear that Democrats will reject any compromise transportation proposals in an effort to anger voters, but the plan may not go as hoped.

"If Republicans get the job done and come up with a transportation plan, how can the Democrats vote 'No' after all they've said?" asked Sen. Jeannemarie Devolites, R-Fairfax.

Lawmakers concede that political anxiety will make agreeing on a transportation plan more difficult this year. "Normally we would never tackle something like this in an election year," said Senate Transportation Chairman Marty Williams, "but it better happen this election year."

Pa. Turnpike Commission Offers Alternative to Privatization

Pennsylvania - The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission has proposed charging tolls on other highways as an alternative to privatizing the turnpike. The commission suggests using unnamed high-tech systems to collect tolls on the currently free highways, beginning with I-80, a main east-west artery.

Turnpike Commission Chief Executive Officer, Joe Brimmeier said tolls on I-80 could generate "tens of millions of dollars" for transportation projects. "All profits that would go to a private firm would go to PennDOT," he said. "We intend to show how we can close the funding gap that limits the state's ability to care for roads and bridges." Brimmeier said he believes the commission's proposal to institute tolls on more roads could generate more funding than privatization.

About four dozen groups, including the commission, submitted proposals at Gov. Ed. Rendell's request to determine the value of privatizing the turnpike in an effort to produce more transportation funding.

PennDOT does not have a timetable for considering the proposals to lease the turnpike, said department spokesperson Rich Kirkpatrick. So far, estimates of the value of a long-term lease have ranged dramatically, from $2 billion to $30 billion. "This is not a process that will yield a quick result," Kirkpatrick said

Easing Traffic Congestion

LOS ANGELES, Calif. - Commuters who live or work on the westside of Los Angeles have realized that the daily, miserable, stand-still traffic between about 3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. is so bad that many will do anything to rearrange their schedules just to avoid the gridlock. Zev Yaroslavsky, L.A. County Supervisor, will not schedule anything west of the 405 unless it will conclude by 2:30 p.m. Yaroslavsky's suggested solution is one-way streets.

However, as long as more and more roads continue to be built, and freeways continue to be widened, more people will be invited to drive. A long-term solution to decrease the number of cars on the road may be strengthening the mass transit system, although that may be many years down the road.

A possible short-term solution may be to make the whole Metropolitan Transportation Authority free of charge by instituting a small gasoline tax. This is a fairly low-cost solution, given that only about $250 million of MTA's $3 billion income is produced by rider fares. This somewhat small tax could make up for the lost revenue, dissuade people from driving, and encourage them to take trains and buses.

Selling Toll Roads can be Difficult

New Jersey - It may be a long road ahead before New Jersey comes to an agreement on the proposed sale of the New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway, although the deal could bring the state nearly $10 billion. There is a hot debate among lawmakers, labor officials, and watchdog groups about whether or not to make it a one-shot deal, and how it will affect drivers and state employees. Will state employees be fired, and will public oversight of the roads' security and maintenance be lost?

"We need to be concerned about who is controlling our major corridors that lead us to all of our major destinations," said state Sen. Paul Sarlo, D-Wood-Ridge.

Critics point out that similar deals in Indiana and Chicago have led to instantaneous toll increases. The New Jersey Turnpike Authority has not passed a toll hike in the past four years, and the Garden State Parkway has not seen an increase in 20 years. In contrast, the Indiana Toll Road lease has guaranteed future increases of up to 3 percent per year.

"New Jersey's highways should be managed for the public's interest, not private profit," said Abigail Field, legislative advocate for New Jersey Public Interest Research Group, a government and consumer watchdog agency. "Decisions about where and when to build or expand our roads, and what toll to charge, should be based on New Jersey's needs, not a company's profit margin."

Transportation advocacy group, The Regional Plan Association, released an 11-page report this monthe which set two "ground rules" for the state to follow: Ensure public accountability and meet New Jersey's future transportation needs. They said every plan that involves a public-private partnership must maintain "transparency" in order to be successful.

Citing that Garden State Parkway tolls had not been increased for 20 years isn't a demonstration that past fiscal management was sound. Rather, like the Chicago Skyway, tolls were not increased due to political pressure and not as a result of financial need analysis. Concession agreements can be written which balance public needs and issues with the specific requirements of private financing; which then makes the facilities possible. TW