[Nfbf-l] FW: 12 states raised new transportation funding in 2015. What's next in 2016?

Fri Dec 18 01:40:12 UTC 2015

From: info=t4america.org at mail.salsalabs.net [mailto:info=t4america.org at mail.salsalabs.net] On Behalf Of Stephen Lee Davis, Transportation for America
Sent: Thursday, December 17, 2015 4:27 PM
To: plipovsky at cfl.rr.com
Subject: 12 states raised new transportation funding in 2015. What's next in 2016?

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12 states raised new transportation funding in 2015

Dear Patricia, 

 <http://action.smartgrowthamerica.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=68VZ8nOYs%2BcUrK8F6O8pQOu5IsYeKouT> The second issue of our “Capital Ideas” series, released today, takes a closer look at the states that passed new transportation funding and policy legislation in 2015, distilling the year into some notable trends, lessons learned, challenges, and recommendations for other states planning similar action in 2016.

Was your state one of the 12 states that successfully raised new transportation funding in 2015? If not, what lessons can your state learn from this year’s action?

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 <http://action.smartgrowthamerica.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=xEonhQ1u4LzUJPJnzctXkJTNk7sotufb> Download or read the report in full here

Along with a big-picture overview, we take a closer look at a state that passed one of the better overall bills (Utah), a state that suffered a defeat on the way to a final package that failed to fundamentally improve policy or solve the revenue question (Michigan), and a state that passed another round of policy reforms to build voter trust and accountability following an increase in new transportation funds in 2013 (Virginia).

Through the successes (and failures) of 2015, we pull together some practical lessons and challenges for the other states hoping to take up the issue in 2016 or 2017, like: showing why instituting reforms to boost public confidence can increase the likelihood of success, why indexing fuel taxes to inflation still isn’t a long-term solution, and why states should still find ways to fund all of the diverse transportation needs in their states — not just highways. (Something T4America believes not enough states did this year.)

Many states have an uphill challenge on that last point: did you know that almost half (23) of all states have constitutional restrictions prohibiting state transportation funding from being used on public transit?

Even though Congress did finally pass a five-year bill this year, states are unlikely to stand pat on transportation funding. Years of dwindling federal funding and lost revenues due to arcane, static, and declining gas taxes have left states struggling to balance their budgets, and unlike Congress did recently, states can’t sell future oil reserves, raid the Fed or rely on accounting gimmicks to cover their costs — they have to find real money.

Read the report in full online <http://action.smartgrowthamerica.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=StI7cUjAUk4fIzuX8vw5U%2Bu5IsYeKouT>  and stay tuned as we bring you more news about T4America’s state work ahead in 2016.

Thank you for your support, 

Stephen Lee Davis
Director of Communications
Transportation for America 

Consider donating to Transportation for America and support more of this kind of work in 2016 <http://action.smartgrowthamerica.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=9%2F8k50Jr5%2BDXTKozqF3Osuu5IsYeKouT> .

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