The Legislature passed two transportation bond bills and a $3 billion bridge repair bill. Officials are also encouraged by rising T ridership, even though escalating fuel costs are outpacing revenue, and the Turnpike Authority is trying to shed costs, including plans to eliminate tolltakers.
Local transportation leaders called yesterday for a renewed push to increase federal investment in transportation to stimulate the economy and meet the growing demand for better public transit.
As the nation’s economy remains in turmoil, state and national transportation officials met yesterday in Boston to discuss the challenges ahead for federally-funded transportation projects.
Next year, the six-year federal transportation spending bill is up for re-authorization, but U.S. Rep. Michael Capuano admitted yesterday lawmakers may not get to it in 2009.
With the government spending hundreds of millions of dollars to bail out Wall Street, MBTA General Manager Dan Grabauskas and former Transportation Secretary Fred Salvucci yesterday both called for that same investment in transportation projects.
But several transportation investments ahead, such as the Green Line extension and the Urban Ring for the MBTA, are targeted for federal funding. Transportation Secretary Bernard Cohen said the re-authorization will set the framework for how much can be appropriated for those types of projects.
“It’s going to be critical in terms of funding a portion of our big rail expansion projects,” Cohen said.
While the state looks to expand transportation in some areas, a grim report from the Transportation Finance Commission last year also indicated it could cost up to $19 billion to maintain the state’s current transportation infrastructure, not including any expansion projects.
