Sierra Club Bucks County Group
Meetings at Churchville Nature CenterEvery 2nd Thursday - 7 PM to 9 PM
Directions: ChurchvilleNatureCenter.org
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CommentaryPlease Note: In keeping with Sierra Club policy, this website does not endorse candidates for Sierra Club office on the Group, Chapter, or National level. This website is a forum for policy discussion and debate among those truly concerned with protection of the environment. Opinions expressed herein are those of their authors and may or may not reflect Sierra Club policy.Response to Lowman Henry Commentary November 15, 2003 Editor Bucks County Courier Times 8400 Route 13 Levittown, PA. 19057 Dear Sir/Madam: The Lowman Henry Commentary, "Mugging Peter to Pay Paul" that asserts that public transit "consumes vast quantities of tax money" furthers the mistaken belief that highway user tax revenues cover the cost of constructing and maintaining highways. Actually, in Pennsylvania, only $2.884 billion of the $4.451 billion expended for building and maintaining highways came from Highway User Tax Revenues [59 percent]. General Fund Appropriations and Property Taxes contributed $780 million [17.5 percent]..- clearly a subsidy to the highway user. On the other hand, the Commonwealth provided only $748 million for transit - $511 million in General Fund Appropriation and $227 million in State Grants-in Aid, of which only $96 million came Highway User Tax Revenues. [USDOT-FHWA Highway Statistics - 1998]. Please note that the amount provided to transit is $32 million less than the taxpayer provides to highways from General Fund Appropriation and Property Taxes. The Rendell Administration did not" stick it to the motorist by raiding federal highway funding to feed the mass transit beasts in Philly and Pittsburgh". The Congress provided that opportunity when it enacted the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 [CAAA]. To ensure that transportation programs and projects conform to the State Implementation Plan, authorized in the CAAA, Congress passed the ISTEA legislation in 1991 and later TEA21 in 1997. In enacting this legislation Congress recognized that if the US was to meet the requirements of the CAAA, there was a need to reduce highway congestion and the annual amount of vehicles miles traveled, since adding capacity to existing highway or constructing new ones was not accomplishing that objective. To this end, Congress incorporated "flexibility" in the ISTEA legislation that provides states and local governments with the option of using highway funds for non-highway purposes, such as public transit. The Surface Transportation Program [STP] of ISTEA and TEA21 legislation provides the greatest flexibility for transferring highway funds to non-highway projects. Moreover, the STP program is a "flow through" mechanism for other highway programs. States may transfer up to 20 percent of their Interstate Maintenance Program funds and up to 40 percent of the Bridge Program funds to STP. Fifty percent of the National Highway System funds are available for transfer to STP [with approval of the US Secretary, 100 percent can be transferred]. All such funds transferred to Surface Transportation Program are available for funding non-highway projects, including public transit. In addition, all Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality [CMAQ] funds may be used for non-highway projects if the implementation of the project improves air quality. Unfortunately, the highway builders and commercial users have been very successful in restricting the use of highway funds for non-highway purposes, such as transit. They don't want the money collected at the gas pump - "their money"- used for anything but highways, even though the highway user would benefit by making transit riders out of drivers now using the highway, thereby reducing highway congestion. This concept certainly would apply in Bucks County where the restoration of commuter rail service on SEPTA's Bethlehem Branch would have a significant positive impact on reducing congestion on the parallel Route 309. Sincerely, Larry Joyce, Transportation Co-Chair Sierra Club - Pennsylvania Chapter 1660 Holtz Road Enola, PA. 17025 717-732-0958 Up to Top |