Agenda James Corless, Transportation for America Iowa: Sen. Tod - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Agenda

• James Corless, Transportation for America
• Iowa: Sen. Tod Bowman
• Minnesota: David Montgomery, Pioneer Press
• Other Midwest States to Watch
• North Carolina: Bruce Siceloff, News & Observer
• Georgia: Walter Jones, Morris News Service
• Texas: Keith Goble, Land Line Magazine
• Other Southern States to Watch

Agenda

• Washington: Michael Lindblom, Seattle Times
• Other Western States to Watch
• New Jersey: Michael Catalini, Associated Press
• Connecticut: Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant
• Other Eastern States to Watch
• Your Questions

States to Watch on Transportation Funding

• James Corless

Transportation for America Director

Iowa

• Sen. Tod Bowman

Transportation Cmte. Chairman

Minnesota

David Montgomery

• St. Paul Pioneer Press

Other Midwestern States to Watch

• South Dakota
• Wisconsin
• Michigan

Iowa

• Sen. Tod Bowman

Transportation Cmte. Chairman

North Carolina

Bruce Siceloff The (Raleigh) News & Observer

North Carolina

• Business leaders calling for more transportation spending, but not

more taxes

• State’s transportation funding deficit expected to reach between $34

billion and $94 billion by 2040

• Gov. Pat McCrory had promised to give the 2015 General Assembly

“targeted revenue recommendations”

• Instead he used his State of the State to tout a proposal to borrow

$1.2 billion for projects

• Bond measures would have to go to voters
• Governor signaled he would wait for legislators to take the lead on

recommending new taxes, fees, other revenues

Georgia

Walter Jones Morris News Service

Georgia’s Transportation Funding

• Calls for gas tax increase for 20 years
• Georgia DOT says $2.5 billion more needed to maintain

current infrastructure; $3.9 billion to improve congestion, address growth

• Chamber of Commerce succeeded in getting TSPLOST

referendum in 2013

• 9 of 12 regions defeated TSPLOST
• Alternative Plan B offered
• Study committee field hearings last summer

House Bill 170

• Phase out local sales tax on gas
• Phase in state increase
• Convert sales tax to excise tax
• Capture $60 million from interstate truckers
• Dedicate “fourth penny” of sales tax to transportation rather than

general fund leaving $175 million hole

• Beef up infrastructure bank
• Issue $100 million in bonds for transit
• Levy $200 annual fee on alternative fuel vehicles
• Index excise tax to CAFÉ/construction expenses

Georgia Politics

• “not a tax increase”
• “not a slight of hand”
• “not a tax increase”
• Chairman to critics: “I’m not going to waste my time.”
• Schools and cities upset with phase out, but counties accept it
• Last speaker’s plan to end property tax trounced by local officials
• Gov. Nathan Deal is hands off.
• Senate already holding hearings on “options”
• Anti-smoking groups hope for cigarette tax hike to fill budget hole.

Texas

Keith Goble Land Line Magazine

Other Southern States to Watch

• Louisiana
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• South Carolina
• West Virginia

Washington

Michael Lindblom Seattle Times

Washington

• Transit spending in Seattle significantly exceeds road

spending because Sound Transit is such an epic megaproject.

• The state has issued a game-changing VMT forecast

that shows it going down, which is contrary to the last 15 years of highway planning assumptions.

• A debt bomb is about to swallow the WSDOT, leaving

few dollars for maintenance.

Other Western States to Watch

• California
• Idaho
• Montana
• Oregon
• Utah

New Jersey

Michael Catalini Associated Press

Connecticut

Christopher Keating The Hartford Courant

Connecticut Transportation Plan

• Full details to be revealed February 18
• Plan covers at least 30 years with 5-year ramp-

up

• Possible tolls, congestion pricing
• Special Transportation Fund
• Constitutional amendment for “lockbox”
• $1 billion plan after the 1983 Mianus River

Bridge collapse worth at least $6 billion in 2007 dollars

Other Eastern States to Watch

• Delaware

Your Questions & Comments

States to Watch in 2015: Transportation Funding

Connect on Twitter

• Sean Slone: @CSGTransport
• James Corless: @T4America
• David Montgomery: @dhmontgomery
• Bruce Siceloff: @Road_Worrier
• Walter Jones: @MorrisNews
• Keith Goble: @LL_Statesman
• Michael Lindblom: @MikeLindblom
• Michael Catalini: @MikeCatalini
• Christopher Keating: @hartfordcourant