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
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