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President-elect Obama has declared that the next recovery plan must do more than just
pump money into the economy. It will also create the infrastructure that America needs
for the 21st century. This fall, Congress asked states to submit lists of “ready-to-go” transportation infrastructure projects that could be funded by the stimulus package. Lists from nineteen state departments of transportation (DOTs) show that the broader goals articulated by President-elect Obama will be undermined if Congress, the Administration, and the states do not establish forward-looking rules for spending stimulus funds. |
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A new report released today by the Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group (MASSPIRG) analyzes the benefits of proposed and planned public transportation projects throughout Massachusetts. |
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Pennsylvania’s transportation system is doing an increasingly poor job of moving people and goods efficiently and inexpensively around the Keystone State, while contributing to oil dependence and environmental harm. |
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Nothing illustrates how the lack of transportation options hurts consumers and our economy more than the fact that, since approval of the tax rebates in February, Americans on average have already spent the amount of their stimulus checks at the pump. |
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This report shows why rail, rapid buses and other forms of public transit must play a more prominent role in America’s future transportation system. America has grown more dependent on car travel with each passing year. |
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The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
(MBTA) faces an uncertain financial future over the next five years. With debt service payments increasing, along with other costs, the MBTA will face sizable budget gaps forcing the Authority to choose among unhealthy options to close these structural deficits. These options primarily include: further
dramatic fare increases, service reductions, or more borrowing. |
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Privatization of toll roads is a growing trend. During 2007, sixteen states had some privatized road project formally proposed or underway. Although offering a short-term infusion of cash, privatization of existing toll roads harms the long-term public interest. It relinquishes important public control over transportation policy while failing to deliver the value comparable to the tolls that the public will be
forced to pay over the life of the deal. |
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The public need and demand for transit will grow sharply in the future and transportation funding must become better targeted to future needs. This paper explains why lawmakers should turn to new dedicated revenues to provide long-term solutions while increasing market efficiency and reducing social costs. Legislators should avoid short-term band aids from the general budget or one-time gimmicks such as road privatization. |
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As dire cuts in service and fare hikes loom for Northeastern Illinois transit, a new study by Illinois PIRG (Public Interest Research Group) proposed linking reforms of transit agencies with new, permanent funding sources. The report analyzes potential revenue solutions and provides a menu of funding options lawmakers should consider to ensure reliable transit funding for years to come. |
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Plans for the state of Texas to sign concession deals for privately operated toll roads present a number of dangers for the public interest. Giving long-term control of our roads to a private operator and granting them future toll revenues is a huge commitment that should not be taken lightly. |
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Report stresses that any potential deal must guarantee public participation, transparency, and high standards for safety and maintenance. In order to ensure that the Commonwealth will not be stuck with a bad deal, these and other conditions must be reflected in any authorization-to-negotiate law that the General Assembly enacts. |
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A deal to “monetize†the New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway should not be signed if it violates the public interest. No deal should be approved that fails to uphold any of six basic principles: public control, fair value, no deal longer than 30 years, state-of-the-art safety and maintenance standards, complete transparency and accountability, and no budget gimmicks. |
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