In This Issue

	Gov. says Transportation Package Needed for Economy
	Kansas Reacts to Federal Shortfall
	GOP Continues Waging Toll Road War
	Companies Eager to Bid on Pennsylvania Turnpike
	Minn. Bridge Money Debate Continues at Capitol
	Two Fuel Tax Proposals Moving in Michigan
	FDOT: Red Light Cameras Illegal
	New TxDOT Executive Director Chosen
	Environmentalists Take ICC to Court

Gov. says Transportation Package Needed for Economy

OLYMPIA – Public safety and the Puget Sound economy could be hard hit if the area’s voters do not approve a tax package to fund transit and highways, Gov. Christine Gregoire said in a news conference Monday. Citing the recent Minnesota bridge collapse in August, she said “Mother Nature lurks behind us,” and will bring the region’s bridges crashing down if the crumbling infrastructure is not shored up by additional investment.

Voters in King, Snohomish and Pierce counties will decide on the $18 billion road and transit package in November. The measure would raise funds through a regional sales tax increase of six-tenths of a cent, and an annual vehicle tax of $8 per $1,000 of value.

Gregoire’s fellow Democrat Ron Sims disagrees with the governor, however, saying the projects would worsen greenhouse emissions in the area and would not benefit enough people to support the cost. Government executives in Pierce and Snohomish counties are still behind the tax package.

Kansas Reacts to Federal Shortfall

Kansas - A potential shortfall in federal transportation funding in Kansas was announced on Tuesday by Transportation Secretary Deb Miller, but Topeka and Shawnee County officials say it is still to early to be concerned about the fate of local road improvements. The shortfall would be due to a 37-percent decline the Federal Highway Trust Fund may see for fiscal year 2009. Secretary Miller says she remains optimistic that Congress will take action to fix the problem.

Shawnee County public works director Tom Vlach and Topeka city engineer Shawn Burns say they are also taking the wait-and-see approach, but if Congress doesn’t pull through, local improvements will be affected, including the S.W. 29th and Fairlawn intersection and S.E. California between 33rd and 37th.

As a precaution, KDOT staff has been ordered by Secretary Miller to develop a contingency plan to rearrange the priority list of state projects to allow for delays in case of a shortfall. Miller and Basso say the most they are hoping for is that Congress will have the problem fixed for 2009, although fiscal year 2010 is threatened with a 39 percent deficit.

We ran this story not so much because S.E. California is a major corridor of concern outside of Topeka but that it reflects stories being played out across the country as state and local officials come to grips with a federal program that won’t solve their transportation problems. Every community will have their own version of this scenario. It is an environment where local solutions will flourish. TW

GOP Continues Waging Toll Road War

New Jersey - Two Republican New Jersey lawmakers have filed suit against Gov. Jon Corzine’s administration, in an attempt to force the release of a report that may contain information about possible toll hikes and the effect of traffic flow onto nearby roads. The legislators believe the report would inform voters about the governor’s controversial, yet-to-be-released plan to lease state toll roads before November’s elections.

Republican members of the state transportation panel have been requesting the release of the $887,000 report prepared by a private transportation consulting firm for several months. The report, which is 90-percent paid for, developed “annual traffic and toll revenue estimates for each [road] for a period of up to 99 years.”

However, the New Jersey Department of Treasury has rejected the Republican’s Open Public Records request, saying the document, “remains in draft form” and, therefore, is subject to the exemption for advisory, consultative and deliberative material. Assembly members Jennifer Beck, R-Morganville, and Sean Kean, R-Wall, who filed the lawsuit in the state’s Superior Court on Friday, argue that the document should be available for public review because it was paid for by tax dollars.

“This administration has been hiding the report for a reason,” said Beck. “They want to hide it because they know that when the public understands the impact of their toll road gimmick, the public will never stand for it.”

Corzine’s administration has been developing a plan since last year to lease some of the state’s assets, including the New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway. The billions in proceeds could then be used to lower the state debt, the fourth-largest in the country. The majority of state Republicans and many Democrats oppose the plan idea.

Companies Eager to Bid on Pennsylvania Turnpike

Pennsylvania - Interest is high for the opportunity to lease the Pennsylvania Turnpike, as 14 organizations turned in applications to qualify for consideration to the state department of transportation.

The governor says leasing the turnpike to a private company could net more than $1.5 billion to pay for state infrastructure maintenance and the cost of transit systems. Lawmakers have given the idea cool response, however. In July, Rendell attempted to compromise by signing a bill to generate billions of dollars a year by using the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission’s buying power to borrow funds, then introducing tolls on I-80, which crosses Pennsylvania, from the Ohio border to New Jersey.

After Republican congressmen John Peterson and Phil English threatened to block the establishment of I-80 tolls, Rendell refocused his attention on leasing the turnpike. He requested companies interested in bidding on the turnpike leasing contract to submit applications listing their company’s profile, history and qualifications.

“Over the coming days, we will evaluate the responses to determine the entities that are qualified to bid on a potential lease of the turnpike,” said Rendell, “With this level of interest, we owe it to taxpayers to continue exploring opportunities that might be available through this process.” Pennsylvania has almost 9,000 miles of roadway in poor condition and over 6,000 structurally deficient bridges.

Minn. Bridge Money Debate Continues at Capitol

Minnesota - The Minnesota Department of Transportation has endured numerous hearings this week at the capitol aimed at keeping their cash flow issues under a watchful political eye. Wednesday, a joint committee began hearings into the cause of the 35W bridge collapse in August. Thursday, an eight-legislator panel will once again consider letting the transportation department use $195 million in state funding for the project. At least five of the eight members must sign a document giving approval for spending state dollars.

“Part of the argument we have from our colleagues is the fact that five of us shouldn’t make the decision, that it should be a legislative decision,” said House Transportation Committee chairman Bernie Lieder. He is co-chair of the Bridge Investigative committee which began hearings on Wednesday in St. Paul.

On Thursday, a hearing will be held on the Wakota Bridge project, because the double I-494 spans are seeing more delays after the 35W collapse. A special appropriations panel will also reconvene at the Capitol Thursday to look into the need for additional spending authority for MnDOT.

Congress has authorized $250 million for the bridge reconstruction, but it has not yet been appropriated. Meanwhile the state can use the $50 million emergency fund to begin cutting checks to the contractor. The plan is for the contractor to begin moving equipment onto the construction site by the end of this month.

Two Fuel Tax Proposals Moving in Michigan

Michigan - Lawmakers in Michigan are giving the final push to pass bills before the regular session wraps up this winter, and a pair of transportation bills may receive consideration. A bipartisan bill in the House calls for an increase in the state’s per-gallon gas tax rates to produce over $1 billion annually in new funding for road projects.

Another measure proposed by House Transportation Committee Chairman Hoon-Yung Hopgood, D-Taylor, would increase the 15-cent state diesel tax by 13 cents over the next three years, as well as increase vehicle registration fees by 50 percent.

A 9-cent boost to the state’s 19-cent per gallon gas tax during the next three years is suggested in a bill proposed by House Minority Leader Craig DeRoche, R-Novi. Neither bill would affect the 6 percent general sales tax added to fuel purchases.

Under the bills, the fuel tax rates would reach 22 cents per gallon in 2008, and with two annual increases by 2010, rates would hit 28 cents per gallon. Revenue from the tax hikes would exceed $1.1 billion, with about 60 percent going to city and county projects, and about 40 percent earmarked for highway construction.

FDOT: Red Light Cameras Illegal

Florida - Despite a letter from the Florida Department of Transportation suggesting that issuing tickets with red light cameras may be illegal, several Florida jurisdictions are moving forward with plans to install the devices, motivated by local governments wanting a share in the profits and furious lobbying by the red light camera industries and insurance companies. The legislature has so far refused to authorize the devices, but pressure to concede is increasing.

“The decision to allow or not allow the use of Red Light Running Cameras is determined by the Florida Legislature and Governor Crist,” Deputy State Traffic Operations Engineer Mark C. Wilson wrote. “Current Florida law does not allow the use of Red Light Running Cameras for the enforcement of a traffic violation. The Florida Department of Transportation does not allow the use of Red Light Running Cameras on any of our intersections on the State Highway System. We do know that some Florida cities are using Red Light Running Cameras for enforcement of a violation of a local city ordinance.”

Escambia County and Hallandale Beach are still considering installing the red light cameras, while cities such as Apopka and Gulf Breeze have installed and have been issuing automated photo tickets at intersections for the past couple months.

Earlier this year, the Supreme Court in Minnesota ruled that a jurisdiction claiming red light cameras were not truly tickets but violations of a city ordinance had violated a provision, also part of Florida’s code, requiring uniformity of traffic laws (view ruling).

A full copy of the FDOT letter is available in a 318k PDF file at the source link below.

New TxDOT Executive Director Chosen

AUSTIN – Amadeo Saenz, a transportation engineer with 29 years state experience, including leadership roles in Pharr and Austin, is the new executive director of the Texas Department of Transportation, becoming the first Hispanic to head the agency in its 90-year history.

Saenz, 51, was named to the state’s top transportation position September 27 by the Texas Transportation Commission. He becomes the 19th person to head the transportation agency since it was created in 1917. “Amadeo has the unique combination of experience, knowledge and skill necessary to lead TxDOT and meet the growing transportation challenge we face in Texas,” said Ric Williamson, Texas Transportation Commission chairman.

Since 2001, Saenz has served as TxDOT’s assistant executive director for engineering operations. He has been instrumental in implementing the department’s strategies to use all financial options to build transportation projects, empower local and regional leaders to solve transportation problems, increase competition to reduce costs and make consumer-driven decisions.

Saenz, who joined TxDOT in 1978, was a district engineer in the agency’s Pharr District from 1993 to 2001 and was in charge of all department activities in an eight-county region. He oversaw TxDOT’s response when the Queen Isabella Causeway was hit by a barge in 2001 and directed emergency repairs, which were completed in less than three months.

Amadeo has distinguished himself as a “no-nonsense” leader who can use innovative approaches to solve transportation problems. He has certainly earned this opportunity and will serve all Texans well. Congratulations and best wishes for success. TW

Environmentalists Take ICC to Court

GREENBELT, Maryland - Environmental groups are challenging Maryland’s Intercounty Connector again, this time saying federal and state planners did not adequately study how the new 18-mile highway would impact the environment and health of residents living nearby.

The Audubon Naturalist Society, Environmental Defense and other organizations told a federal judge that highway officials did not properly explore options other than the ICC, such as mass transit. The $2.4 billion highway is planned to connect I-270 and I-95.

Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Alexander Williams Jr. listened to arguments in the consolidated lawsuit against the Army Corps of Engineers and the USDOT. The plaintiffs are seeking another federal review, which may force a serious delay in work scheduled to begin this fall.

The government’s lawyers argue that their environmental impact study was comprehensive and say that residents near the road would experience major health problems from air pollution are exaggerated.