Transportation

The Austin Chamber urges the Legislature to optimize existing funding sources and identify new funding sources for transportation, including but not limited to:

• Eliminating diversions;
• Raising taxes on motor fuels;
• Indexing the motor fuels tax;
• Increasing vehicle registration fees; and
• A local option transportation tax.

Any increase to the motor fuels tax rate above the current 20¢ should be directed 100% to transportation to the extent consistent with the Texas State Constitution.

A Sustainable Funding Source for Road, Rail & Transit Infrastructure

We encourage the Legislature to determine which funding mechanisms will provide a sustainable funding source for road, rail and transit infrastructure to operate and maintain past investments and provide additional capacity for projected population and business growth. An implementation strategy should be identified.

Rail Relocation & Improvement Fund

The Legislature and TxDOT should work together to find an appropriate long-term revenue source to fund the Rail Relocation and Improvement Fund. Rail infrastructure is a key component of the State's transportation system and voters approved the creation of the Rail Relocation and Improvement Fund in November 2005. The 81st Legislature appropriated the funds in 2009, but the conditions required by the contingent appropriations rider have not been met to be certified or released for expenditure.

Streamline the Environmental Process at State Agencies

The Austin Chamber supports improvements to the state environmental process that timely and efficiently implements those provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act and other relevant federal and state statues. A long, lengthy environmental process can result in increased right-of-way costs and drawn-out project timelines for desperately needed infrastructure improvements.

Texas Mobility Fund

The Texas Mobility Fund (TMF) provides the state with a creative mechanism to substantially leverage transportation dollars. It is estimated that for every $100 million allocated annually for the TMF, about $1 billion in bonding authority is created. The Austin Chamber urges the Legislature to identify additional and new revenue sources during the 82nd Texas Legislature for the Texas Mobility Fund.

Transportation Reinvestment Zones

Transportation Reinvestment Zones (TRZs) offer an important tool for generating local funding. The Austin Chamber supports uncoupling TRZs from the "pass-through" program.

Appropriations Requests (not prioritized)

• Capital Area Trail System, Walk for Day, Phase II, $500,000 – $750,000;
• RM 620 Overpass at Union Pacific Railroad, $2 million;
• Lone Star Rail District Program Management and associated planning, environmental and engineering activities, including Federal regulatory permissions, for both passenger rail and freight rail relocation components for the Austin-San Antonio Rail Corridor, $1.7 million;
• Commuter Rail Link System Planning and Alternatives Analysis, $2 million;
• Urban Rail Alternatives Analysis, $1 million;
• Intelligent Transportation Systems, $500,000;
• MetroRapid – Very Small Start Program, $24.8 million;
• Accessible Bus Stop Improvements; $1 million; and
• Leander T; $7.1 million.

SAFETEA-LU Reauthorization

• Accessible Fleet Replacement (Capital Metro), $5 million;
• Oak Hill Park and Ride (Capital Metro), $2 million;
• Burnet Road (City of Austin), $15 million;
• East 6th Street Reconstruction & Enhancement, $15 million;
• Vehicle Detection Stations (City of Austin), $6 million; and
• Waller Creek Trail/Lady Bird Lake Trail Boardwalk (City of Austin), $15 million.
• Support inclusion of Authorization Language for "All Systems Go" Plan.
• Support increased federal investment in intercity and regional rail. Support South Central High-Speed Rail Corridor and regional rail between Georgetown and San Antonio.
• Support language that allows local money spent on earlier phases of a transit project to be used as the "supermatch" for future, federally-funded phases for Capital Metro and City of Austin.
• Support continued local and state oversight of tolling authorities:
  • Decisions about ‚interoperability of toll tags, oversight of tolling provisions and application of public-private partnerships should remain with state and local governments and not the Office of Public Benefit.
• Support addition of a title within the re-authorization bill that would establish a funding program for rail relocation projects around the country.

Other Legislation

• Support bolstering TIFIA resources:
  • The size of the TIFIA credit assistance should be increased from $122M to $400M (or the amount proposed in the House bill).
  • Require that evaluation and review of applications by the TIFIA Credit Council be open to the public.
  • Provide that all TIFIA Letters of Interest, credit applications, funding balances and related information be posted on the program's web site within 72 hours.
  • The Program Administrators clarify to every extent possible exactly how Application will be evaluated and scored.
• Support funding for research of new funding mechanisms that will provide a stable funding source for transportation infrastructure as vehicles become more fuel efficient.
• Support the ability of the Federal Highway Administration and U.S Department of Fish & Wildlife to accept local, regional, state and statewide organization funding to provide additional staffing resources for the environmental review process.
• Support clearance of transportation projects by the Federal Highway Administration that are not in the Transportation Improvement Plan to allow more Texas projects to be eligible for federal funding that becomes available on short notice.
• Support environmental clearance of transportation projects by Federal Highway Administration prior to Section 7 consultation as is the practice of other federal agencies.

The Austin Chamber supported the successful City of Austin Proposition 1 on the November 2010 ballot. The voters authorized $90 million for a variety of multi-modal mobility and public works projects.

As Travis County prepares for a possible November 2011 bond election and the City of Austin prepares for a possible November 2012 bond election, the Austin Chamber works with the region's transportation leaders to improve mobility and reduce congestion in Central Texas.