Skip to main content

Let the debate begin! 21st Century Transport Committee releases their findings

As you all well and know, earlier this week, Governor Mike Easley announced his own plan for improving road financing within the state of North Carolina. And as we predicted (and Bob made note of in the comments), the Governor's 21st Century Transportation Committee came up with their own suggestions.

Story: Raleigh News & Observer

There was a plethora of items within the Committee's conclusions, but since the governor specifically targeted the annual transfer of $172.6 million from the Highway Trust Fund to the General Fund, lets look at the differences there first.

Gov. Easley suggested that the transfer be reduced by $25 million this year and eventually be eliminated completely. (He didn't give a timetable for how long that would take.) The $25 million would then be applied for the necessary gap funding for the proposed Triangle Expressway Toll Road. (Which needs about $22-25 million per year for 40 years to cover the cost of building the highway.)

I pointed out how that would most certainly differ from the committee's findings (which hinted at the total elimination of the transfer), and that other parts of the state would question why a Raleigh project would be favorited over theirs.

Well, the Committee's proposal for the Highway Fund transfer is as follows:
  1. It would completely eliminate the transfer
  2. $75 million of the gained funs would be used for 'gap financing' for the Triangle Expressway and three other toll projects within the state
  3. The balance of the money would be used to retire nearly $800 million in debt from a bond issue ($1 billion) the committee also suggested.
Now, obviously the differences between the two are pretty stark. All at once, vs. a vague piecemeal proposal. Four total toll projects would receive 'gap funding' vs.only the Triangle Expressway.

Of course, any of these suggestions would have to be passed by the Legislature before moving forward. And I am sure various members of the NC House and Senate have their own ideas on this as well.

But the Committee's report was not limited to eliminating the Highway Trust Fund transfer. It included the previously mentioned bond referendum. The referendum proposed at $1 billion could be on the ballot as early as this fall. (again if it gets the ok from the legislature...there's always the fine print remember) The committee made one point of caution. The bond issue should not be a small amount to where it has very little impact in improving or moving the state's highway infrastructure forward.

The report also recommended that legislation be made that would allow counties to issue half-cent sales tax increases and small vehicle registration fees to pay for various transit measures (similar to what passed in Mecklenburg County). The tax and fee increases would have to be approved by county commissioners to be on the ballot and ultimately by county voters in an election.

It also suggested a new trust fund for congestion relief and transit projects. The $160 million per year fund would go towards bus and light/commuter rail projects.

The committee's report was not unanimous as a few members objected to the lack committed money to transit projects.

Final Commentary:

So there you have it...another proposal to fix and fund our transportation issues. The NC Legislature now has the ball in their court, and who knows what the final solution will look like after it goes through their 'R&D' process (I tried to make the term 'bureaucratic process' sound a little different.) Will the various 'gap funding' proposals not make the grade like it did last year? Or will something come out of it? We'll blog about it...and so will others. So stay tuned.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Dillon Road

Dillon Road is a 34.2-mile highway located in northern Coachella Valley of Riverside County, California.  Dillon Road begins at Avenue 48 on the outskirts of Indio and ends to the west at California State Route 62 near San Gorgonio Pass.  Dillon Road was developed the 1930s as a construction road for the Colorado River Aqueduct.  Dillon Road serves as a northern bypass to much of the development of Coachella Valley.  Dillon Road is known for it's frequent dips and spectacular views of San Gorgonio Pass.   Part 1; the history of Dillon Road Dillon Road was constructed as a haul road for the Colorado River Aqueduct through Coachella Valley.  The Colorado River Aqueduct spans 242 miles from Parker Dam on the Colorado River west to Lake Mathews near Corona.  Construction of the Colorado River Aqueduct began during January 1933 near Thousand Palms and was made functional on January 7, 1939.  West of Berdoo Canyon Road the alignment of Dillon Road is largely concurrent with the Colorado

Tehachapi-Willow Springs Road

Tehachapi-Willow Springs Road is an approximately 21-mile highway located in southeast Kern County.  Tehachapi-Willow Springs Road begins at Tehachapi Boulevard (former US Route 466) in Tehachapi and crosses the Tehachapi Mountains via the 4,820-foot-high Oak Creek Pass.  Tehachapi-Willow Springs Road enters Antelope Valley of the wider Mojave Desert and passes by the historic stage station of Willow Springs to a southern terminus at Rosamond Boulevard.  Tehachapi-Willow Springs Road has historic ties to the Havilah-Los Angeles Road and Stockton-Los Angeles Road due to the once reliable presence of water at Willow Springs. Part 1; the history of Tehachapi-Willow Springs Road Oak Creek Pass and Willow Springs were known to the local tribes of the Tehachapi Mountains for generations.  The first documented European crossing of Oak Creek Pass was during 1776 as part of an expedition by Francisco Garces.  Oak Creek Pass is as used again by John C. Fremont during an 1844-1845 expedition to e

The 1928 Iowa Hill Road Bridge

The 1928 Iowa Hill Road Bridge is a derelict structure located in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of Placer County, California.  The 1928 Iowa Hill Road Bridge can be found between the communities of Colfax and Iowa Hill.  The 1928 Iowa Hill Road Bridge is a wire suspension structure which spans the North Fork American River.  The 1928 Iowa Hill Road Bridge was replaced by a modern span and converted to pedestrian use following floods during 1963.   Part 1; the history of the 1928 Iowa Hill Road Bridge During 1853 gold was discovered at what to become Iowa Hill.  The gold mining claims soon led to a small community known as Iowa City being established.   By 1854, Post Office Service began at the mines of Iowa City.  By 1856 gold production at Iowa City was estimated to be around $100,000.  Iowa City was burned in fires during 1857 and 1862 but the community was rebuilt with more modernized structures.   The location of Iowa City can be seen as "Iowa Hill" on the 1873 Bancroft