Conference Report on H.R. 3, Safe Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users

CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 3, SAFE, ACCOUNTABLE, FLEXIBLE, EFFICIENT TRANSPORTATION EQUITY ACT: A LEGACY FOR USERS -- (House of Representatives - July 29, 2005)

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Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the leadership. I want to acknowledge the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hastert). I know the gentleman has played a key role; perhaps unlike any Speaker in history, with the difficult dynamic we had, he played a key role. I appreciate the committee leadership that has been acknowledged.

I would also like to express my appreciation for what people out in the country did. We have assembled the largest coalition in support of infrastructure investment in the history of the United States. Groups that ranged from the Women's Federated Garden Club of America, organized labor, environmentalists, people who move freight, people who build the facilities all came together with community activists to provide a critical push, given the political difficulties that all have acknowledged.

It was testimony also to the people who know how important these transportation investments are.

I appreciate being able to have a series of things in this legislation that I care deeply about. I have been working on small starts legislation that would help with streetcars, with commuter rail, with bus rapid transit, and I appreciate the committee having 3 years of investment that is going to help give communities more choices. And certainly with the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar) and the ranking committee member, the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. DeFazio), we were assured that this was going to be the best bicycle bill in the history of the United States, and we have it.

I am also appreciative that we have been able, through all of the travails, to keep the fundamental framework of the historic 1991 ISTEA legislation. This legislation produced the flexibility, it produced new tools for communities, it had a bias for being able to plan and put together the pieces right.

We have had lots of upheaval in Washington, D.C. and in the countryside since 1991. It has not been without controversy, but the basic framework is intact. And it means, even though this is not as much money as I would like to see us invest in America's infrastructure, it will be spent more efficiently in ways that communities want.

Because it has taken us 2 years to get to this point, one other thing should be reflected upon. We only have 4 years before we are doing it all over again. I hope that we take this time, learn from the experience, keep the coalition alive in Congress and in the country to make sure that when we come back here in 4 years, which is, sadly, a very short time in terms of major policy, that we are able to build on this, not get hung up over the level of funding, and that we are able to deal with critical questions that cry out for adjustment.

We need to think about what the appropriate role is for Federal oversight. There is a lot of work that is done with the Department of Transportation, frankly, that costs people money in time and energy that may no longer be necessary. I hope we are able to look at that role and gear appropriate Federal oversight in ways that add value, not take it away.

I think it is time for us to look at the match methodology, to have a uniform set of match provisions so that we are not affecting the transportation decisions based on how many dollars we give to the particular project. We need to develop more new tools like the Small Starts project. We have to critically focus on urban freight mobility.

This legislation moves us in the right direction, but we have a long way to go, and I do not think individuals have spent enough time and energy working in their own districts to craft the appropriate solutions. We need to look at the critical connections and refine the connections between rail, air, and roads. The Speaker referenced them in his presentation, but it is not just investing in each of them, it is how they fit together and enhance one another.

Mr. Speaker, there is no better Federal investment than in infrastructure that deals with the environment and transportation in communities. Spent properly, it is the best dollar spent to strengthen that community, make our families safe, healthy, and economically secure. This bill is a step in the right direction, and I look forward to working to make sure that it is implemented properly.

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Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, when Congress passed ISTEA, it revolutionized policy and how our transportation dollars are spent. Congress said that we were not just investing in highways, we were going to fund a broader range of transportation modes that truly help to build more livable communities. Transit, bikes, pedestrian access, a greater role for planning and coordination so that we make sure that we are doing the right thing to improve neighborhoods, protect the environment, provide working families with better access to jobs-these were key elements in the original legislation. I am very happy that TEA-LU continues to move us in the right direction as a nation.

The team from Oregon, the entire Congressional delegation, played a critical role in making sure that this bill maintained the funding flexibility and innovative tools that Oregon has come to rely on. We also worked hard to maximize the impact in our State and the Portland Metropolitan area.

The most important element is making sure that Oregon gets its fair share, which has been achieved in no small part due to heroic efforts on the part of PETER DEFAZIO, who played a critical role in negotiating the final elements. The Oregon Senators recently released a joint list of over $100 million of projects of statewide significance with a number in the Portland metropolitan area. We have all worked to make sure that regional highway and transit projects are able to move along in times of difficult funding at the State level.

I am particularly pleased that we were able to secure authorization of the next round of expansion for the MAX light rail system. There are streetcar provisions that will help continue Portland's growing and nationally significant streetcar, so critical to the revitalization of neighborhoods. There are also elements that deal with vital freight movement and efforts for programs of statewide significance. There's also important bike funding, including safe routes to school and work that I had done with Congressman DEFAZIO to create a bike route from The Dalles to Eugene along the scenic Columbia River highway and down the Willamette Valley.

Most important, the delegation's work together has enabled us to begin laying the groundwork so that we will be in a stronger position from a local level and for Federal policy when it comes time for the next reauthorization. Since the current bill has been delayed for nearly two years with eleven extensions we will be right back in this process in just a couple of years, so it is critical that we take advantage of these investments and continue an aggressive future program.

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