Urgent Updates
Has Congress begun work on federal transportation funding
re-authorization?
Yes, and the House bill provides some funding to offset
COVID-19’s effect on a city’s share of transportation funding for the local
share of federal projects. The “Investing in a New Vision for the Environment and Surface
Transportation in America (INVEST in America) Act” aligns well with the
National League of Cities “Cities 2020 Transportation Priorities” and represents a
significantly stepped-up investment in local priorities. It tracks closely the
“Moving Forward Framework,” which was released in late
January and aligns with NLC’s “Rebuild With Us” priorities.
The prior transportation bill, the Fixing America's Surface
Transportation (FAST) Act of 2016, will expire on October 1, 2020. Because of
that, House leadership has designated transportation reauthorization as one of
their “must pass” bills this summer. In the Senate, three of the four Committees
have yet to act on their portion of the legislation, but they may move quickly
when the time is right. Below is a brief summary of the INVEST Act:
-With $319 billion for roads, $105 billion for transit, $60
billion for rail, and almost $10 billion for safety, INVEST is almost doubling
current investment levels from the Highway Trust Fund and providing $48.7
billion in dedicated funding to local transportation.
-In response to recent local and state budget challenges from
COVID-19, the bill provides $83.1 billion in 2021 to cover up to 100 percent
federal investment, which will ensure cities and transit agencies can move
forward with planned projects without delay. The funding would also
be available for additional items, such as agency salaries and operating
expenses.
-INVEST increases funds for transit and rail programs as well as
new programs to assist cities and regions in transportation connectivity and
climate goals.
To learn more, check out the INVEST in America Act bill text, fact sheet, bill summary, and section-by-section bill summary. NLC's transportation
priorities and additional updates are available at www.nlc.org/FAST.
[Editor’s note: The edited update above was reprinted with
permission from the National League of Cities.]
Further Updates
Where can I find archived issues of the TML Coronavirus Updates?
TML Coronavirus Updates are archived by date here and by subject here.