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Introduction

Across the country, urban and suburban growth is occurring at unprecedented levels. Everyday, Americans are confronted with the reality that development and growth come at a cost. Inhabitants of metropolitan areas increasingly face a variety of transportation-related problems, including congestion, diminishing air quality, and a disintegrating highway infrastructure, all of which hinder their ability to continue to be competitive in the evolving global economy. Yet, local and metropolitan areas receive only a small percentage of federal and state highway funds. Instead, the majority of money is earmarked for highway construction and maintenance, neglecting the needs of urban areas.

Photo courtesy of the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration
Photographer: Andy Clarke

States are afforded a variety of policy options in facing the challenges of growth, including giving greater authority and control to local and metropolitan areas. In 1997, California passed legislation that suballocated, or distributed, funds directly to regional planning organizations and metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs). Suballocation provides local metropolitan areas with the authority in planning, adopting, implementing, and funding necessary transportation improvement projects. Because regional planning organizations and MPOs are more likely to adopt transit and other transportation alternatives, suballocation provides the resources necessary to implement innovative transportation solutions. Additionally, in 2003, Florida passed a bill that created the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority (SFRTA). The bill intended to provide a coordinated transportation system between Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach Counties in order to relieve traffic congestion and move residents and tourists more efficiently throughout the area. A third approach centers on the reliance of many states on highway trust funds or road funds to disperse available money. The majority of the available funds are derived from state motor fuel taxes and, as a result, most transportation trust fund reform centers on making these funds available for comprehensive transportation planning.

This package offers two bill texts as models – one covering suballocation and one establishing a rail authority. In addition, a third legislative option describes various ways in which states can diversify transportation trust fund programs, making this revenue more accessible to mass transit and transportation alternatives. All three methods highlight different ways in which states can approach transportation reform.

This web site offers the tools necessary to update your state’s transportation laws, giving greater funds and control to local, metropolitan, and regional organizations, and encouraging mass transit, pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure enhancements, and other transportation alternatives, including talking points, press clips, a fact pack, research, and other background information.

We may have other useful materials on this subject, which are not posted on our web site. Please feel free to contact us at info@serconline.org or call our office in Madison, Wisconsin, at (608) 252-9800.

If you’ve used this site and found it helpful or, if you have suggestions about how it could be made more helpful, please let us know. Feel free to use the sample bill text included here in your state. If you do, please notify us.

This package was last updated on February 17, 2005.