Transcripts For CSPAN2 House Transportation Subcommittee On

CSPAN2 House Transportation Subcommittee On Infrastructure October 11, 2017

Well call the Sub Committee to order and like to ask that members who are not on the Sub Committee be permed to sit with Sub Committee of todays hearings to ask questions. With that objection that is still ordered i would like to welcome everybody to the hearing today. It is going to focus , obviously, on how we can build the 21st century infrastructure. And a committee that is holding a host of hearings toth gaer idea on what congress can do to achieve this goal and today were going to hear ideas from highways and transit stake holders. Gathering input from stake holders is essential to the process, an that we use to develop Service Transportation policy. And it is valuable in efforts to pass the first longterm highway bilge in a decade and continue to need your assistance with future legislation. Even though with Additional Resources we provided nation Service Transportation system needs additional investment. Enacting longterm solution is a critical component to ensuring that we can address those needs long into the future. Of the past act building on a solution on solution to fund search Transportation Program has been a central priority of mine and always been a main provide of the committee and federal funding certainly, certainty for our nonfederal partners is vital to planning and Building Infrastructure for the 21st century i looking forward to constructively with my colleaguings on both sides of the aisle as well as the stake hold percent to ensure that were going to achieve this goal. Modern infrastructure means strong america. And america that can compete globally and Regional Economic development and creates jobs. Now call our witnesses for being here today and with that i look forward, obviously, to testimony with that ill turn Ranking Member thank you mr. Chairman. I must say that onset i very much appreciate Sub Committee is holding this hearing to get input on rebuilding our highway systems. I think thats the right way to begin after this hiatus and the four of us vary bipartisan way led the congress to pass the first surface transportation bill in a decade in 2015. Well we realize then that we had not begun really begun it is important as that achievement was. It is not yet clear on where the Trump Administration spans or if it is if it is really serious about Real Investment and infrastructure im pleased they speak about infrastructure so often. But i think this committee is right to continue the Due Diligence that you have begun mr. Hail to highlight our investment needs and critical need to actually fund them, stop is talking about it, lets get some money on the table. Perhaps this hearing can help bring our committee and Sub Committee and the administration together in what all agree are urgently needed infrastructure work. We already have a bipartisan majority on this committee about what needs to be done because earlier this year 250 members of congress, thats within this committee and within the congress generally with robust representation from both sides of the aisle, drawing chairman graves and i on a letter to the leadership of the ways and Means Committee urging permanent solution with emphasis on perm permannt and in this letter we urge in the atf highway traffic Fund Solution should enfail a longterm dedicated, userbased, revenue stream that can support the transportation Infrastructure Investment. This strongly bipartisan letter stands in stark contrast to the administrations apparent view that an Infrastructure Initiative is an opportunity to begin chipping away at the federal governments responsibility to be the stewart of our National Transportation network. Remember that we have recognized that this is a network you cant dice and slice it. It goes from coast to coast. It goeses from rural to urban. Thats why the responsibility is federal. Based on what we have seen so far from the administration, we may get a white house proposal that contains various incentive design to boost local, state, and private dollars try telling that to the states and localities. Rural areas object to this. And members and senators representing rural areas are predictable strong proponents of keeping the strong proponents of keeping the funding streams as they are. So the administration seems to hint that some funding would bo to rural areas and for the great bulk of other areas there would be frails and local dollars. But there has been an agreement for my entire lifetime republican and democratic administrations alike that they should be federal grants that fund the entire network and i am certainly happy to work with rural area they feed right into the urban area i represent to ensure that they are treated fairly. When one part of the system is not treated fairly, we all have to jump in. I cannot support an infrastructure we know, of course, that is biased against urban areas and i suspect that there would be a huge number of members with me on that. I doubt that had such a bill could gather a majority from either party. So as a as an example of what a region looks like, i represent the District Of Columbia which is, of course, a densely populated city, and a densely populated region where you see all kinds of construction trades, building more offices, apartments, condo, amenities and collaboration with the rest of the region. Manned and federal government provides a Transportation Network for over 6 million people. Now, within this microcause m deteriorating bridges, our challenges that we face no matter where we live no part of the region is immune i may represent the region but for the country that i speak of this region. These same challenges the challenges are replicated in had this region in all of our major urban areas across the nation. Maybe we should stop calling them urban areas. Because the rural part of our region feeds straight into these roads and bridges because thats where they come for jobs because thats where the jobs are. So parody in a transportation bill is essential. The top 20 urban areas contribute 52 of the total gdp of our economy, American Population is expected to grow by 70 million by 2045. And by 2050, three quarters of americans are expected to live in 11 mega regions. We can know more, leave behind area urban areas than we can leave behind rural areas. It is pretty hard to disassociate one from the other. Urban areas, of course, are the economic engine of the nation thats where rural areas need them. If we leave urban areas to fend for themselves largely then we are ignoring our constitution no mandate to assure the free flow of commerce. And bottlenecks build up and traffic to grind to a halt in major population and commercial centers is backyards and hurt or been and rural area alike. Some of our Witnesses Today support the repeal of the federal ban on tolling interstates. Originally enacted to prevent drivers from double taxation. A rasmussen survey found that just 22 of americans favor polling tolls on interstate highways for infrastructure maintenance. Three times as many over 65 are opposed to turning the nations interstate into tolling roads. We should think seriously about the impact on drivers if the federal government incentivizes federal lanes toll that allow drivers to avoid the congestion general purpose lanes. Such schemes sometimes refer to as lexus lanes, allow those with disposal mechanic to avoid congestion yet leave the great majority of drivers stuck in traffic. Just a few miles from here, in virginia are the 495 express lane perhaps some members use them. These are these use congestion pricing with no price cap to ensure traffic flow remains at least 55 Miles Per Hour and express lanes. No traffic production requirement exists for the general purpose lane and most people use meaning any congestion reside with those who can afford to pay more. In the same vain, the Public Private Partnership Contract discourages carpooling of all things that directly relieves congestion while hov vehicles are exempt from tolls if they exceed 24 of total vehicles, Virginia Department of transportation has to subsidize the lost of proceeds. This means what the Virginia Department of transportation is is incentivized to discourage carpooling which is a major instrument for relieving congestion. Finally, this is a particularly Bipartisan Committee as our recent transportation and infrastructure legislation shows. However, any adverse treatment to transit investment in an infrastructure package would surely break up this partnership. Perhaps, we are all remembering when there was a bill that failed to get to the floor. Some years ago because it virtually zeroed the transit. Transit is critical to moving workers efficiently and minimizing congestion many urban areas. We need more not less of it. Yet the administration and fy25,00018 and its budget continues to fall from shortsighted middle at cutting transit funding will somehow solve our transportation funding woes the opposition to transit is a recipe for or congestion i look forward to hearing the witness withs and i thank you for calling this hearing today. Thank you mrs. Norton i now turn to representative. Thank you mr. Graves and thanks for all of the witnesses here i look forward to hearing from you. None of you i think are strangers from committee out will actually doing it day in and day out in missouri, and you folks are building the infrastructure of this country mr. Mccarthy youre using it every day and, of course, mr. Great distinguished career at d. O. T. It is a really fabulous panel to have before us we look forward to hearing what you have to say. To me building 21st century infrastructure is about jobs. Its about efficiency moving products, moving people as efficiently as low cost as we can ensuring that america is competitive and making sure we pay for it. Stop kicking can down the road so that my children or grandchildren or great grandchildren are going to be stuck with a a bill that for a road has been built in next couple of years i certainly believe that trump is a builder i think this is certainly an area that he understands you know he builds things and finance things and weve been working closely with the administration trying to figure out the outis line to principle and we hope to see that soon coming out of the white house. But again, hearing from the stakeholders on your policy and funding priorities, is actually key to all of this. One thing as i said, i think we all can agree on is we need to fibs the Highway Trust Fund making sure that the solution their solution on the table. Fixing trust fund will help our nonfederal partners if you look across the country 29 states have dealt with it over the last four or five years. I dont believe any state legislature has been wiped out either party for dealing with the funning stream i know my state of pennsylvania itself with the republican governor, with Republican House and senate dealt with their funding issue. And one of the things i think, in this followup with a little bit of miss norton saying about urban, suburban, rural gas tax is a regression tax and rural pay mrs. But in pennsylvania experience true all over the country im sure it is true although rural pokes may pay more in gas tax they get back a lot more. You cant build a roadway in Rural America and build a road in any district that isnt subsidized to it tune of 50 to maybe 08 so my folks may more because they use their cars more but what they get from taxpayers and folks and users in philadelphia, pittsburgh it comes back to them and its a balance what they get back so thats something is that we have to keep in our minds as we go forward because that will be the cry reimpressive but Rural America those folks that have to travel more to get to work they benefit greatly i believe and my district is an example that have. I think if youve got any rural district many this america youll see you cant build an interstate highway through rural pennsylvania or rural wyoming unless the folks from the urban areas their dollars are coming out there to make this country connected. So again i look forward to caring from you folks today and i appreciate you spending your time and your experience with us here. I yield back. Thank you and now ill turn to member of the full committee. Thank you mr. Chairman and thanks for holding this hearing and thanks for witness who is traveled today. I didnt bring my poster but you know the poster of 1956 life magazine where the brand new interstate in oklahoma ends at the arkansas border in a Farmers Field because arkansas defaulted on their promise to build their a section until we had a national Highway Program and they got 80 of it paid for by the feds. We are talking about linking america together o, a vision that Dwight David Eisenhower had had 70 years ago with a National Transportation policy. Transportation does not end at state lines so we need the federal investment as the chairman said in practice 24 states not just 21. 24 states of step up. And they have increased revenues principally with a gas tax couple of areas went with wholesale accident tays and but they are stepping they need a federal partner its not enough what they did that and no one lost their election no one was recalled. So why are we sitting here jawing again today nine month website it been months into the year after the first hearing on our infrastructure needs with no proposals other than a few introduced by people like myself on a bipartisan basis two of my bills for infrastructure have Freedom Caucus sponsors and other has lieu on it we can do this in a bipartisan way but all were doing is talking. Thats all were doing arranged here is just talking. While the country crumbles. I mean seriously lets get to work. You know, we have taken actually republicans took a, you know, a very substantive step on transportation last week in infrastructure. They cut it 25 billion in their budget. So why are we even here pretending . I mean if thats worth, if thats their priority and cut it 25 billion why are why are they Holding Hearing to talk about our needs you cant meet our needs without investment. We havent raised federal gas tax since 1993. When a guy named bud brought a bunch of republicans to vote with the democrats and we with raised the gas tax. 24 states in just the last couple of years have recognized the needs and done it. And theres been no action here. Were promised a trillion or dallas downtown by the white house. And then they come out with outline of 200 billion. Maybe sort of. And you know, that might just be ppps but then the president said he doesnt like ppps its time for someone to take the lead and this committee should take the lead. Time to put proposals out and push the house to act. Thank you mr. Chairman. I like to welcome our panel, and first weve got mr. Patrick kennedy director of the Missouri Department of transportation hes behalf of the American Association state highway and state transportation official. Weve also got chief executive officer Granite Corporation on behalf of the Transportation Construction Coalition. Mr. Brett booker secretary of treasurer at northern American Building trade union and carr thy chief executive officer the soarpghted industries and missouri hes here on and a half of the National Association of manufactures. And mr. Peter, executive officer of sound transit. And with that i would ask unanimous consent that our witnesses full statements be include haded in the record and without objection that is still ordered and still youre written testimony is going to be concluded in entirety in the Record Committee would trust you limit here summary to five minutes and with that i will start with mr. Mckenneth. Members of the Sub Committee thank you for the opportunity to provide perspective of the Nation State Department of transportation. My name is patrick and i serve as erkt doctor of the Missouri Department of transportation. Today it is my honor to testify on behalf of the great state of missouri and which represents Transportation Department of all 50 states, washington, d. C. And puerto rico. As members of congress in the president consider building transportation infrastructure package please consider the following, the future of the federal Highway Trust Fund must be secured through longterm sustainable revenue solution. Direct federal pupgding is immediated instead of relying on incentives that encourage use of private capitol or borrows wherever federal authorities should be assigned to states to expedite extremely line project delivery. Priority should be girch to transportation invest 789s that secure our nations future for the instead of l Shovel Ready Projects in the existing federal

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