Transportation infrastructure: Oberstar is opposed to extending SAFETEA-LU past September 30, says report

Jeff Berman, Group News Editor -- Logistics Management, 6/5/2009

House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman James Oberstar is not in favor of extending the highway re-authorization bill—SAFETEA-LU— past its September 30 deadline, according to a report from Congressional Quarterly.

Rather than sponsor or support an extension of surface transportation programs if a new long-term authorization bill is not done by September 30, Oberstar said he would allow the programs to expire, forcing lawmakers to answer to states that lose their federal transportation support.

The CQ report pointed out that it may be hard for Oberstar to execute on his threat, due to the emphasis placed on transportation infrastructure spending as a job driver during the recession. What’s more, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that was passed in February allocates more than $50 billion towards transportation infrastructure projects, with nearly $30 billion alone dedicated to highway and bridge construction projects. But many shippers and carriers have stated this amount of funding is not nearly enough.

Oberstar’s decision was positively received by David Goldberg, communications director at Transportation for America, a coalition of national, state and local organizations calling for the renewal of a national transportation program for the 21st century.

“We don’t think Americans can wait a whole lot longer for a national transportation policy that makes sense,” he said. “It is clear the stimulus funding is far less than is needed and transportation is a major piece of the climate legislation that was recently introduced. We don’t have transportation policy supporting that at the moment. And the Highway Trust Fund is also running out of money again; we will have to take money allocated for other needs to keep it solvent, which is an unacceptable situation. Nobody wins by punting on the needs of our transportation system.”

These examples stress how “America cannot kick the can down the road any further, said Goldberg, adding that it accentuates the fact that a 21^st century transportation system is badly needed. He also said that without actively addressing these issues commuter congestion will continue on the nation’s highways, which impacts supply chain operations for shippers.

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